WORKSHOP

Whenever I sketch trees, I remember the beautiful song “Vincent” by Don Mclean, which is as inspiring as the work of Van Gogh. 

Plants and trees are among the most interesting and rewarding subjects. They’re the realm of variability, randomness, and singularity. In this workshop we will focus on three main topics: shape variety, edges variety and structure. 

First, we will look at trees as silhouettes, trying to get all their irregularities, using a graphite bar. Then, we will pay attention to the foliage, trying to find as many differences in edges as possible, using just a pen. Finally, we will combine shapes and edges with structure (trunk and branches) – a sense of balance and proportion must be achieved. As we study these three topics, a little of the urban scenery might be added to the pages of our sketchbooks, so a sense of scale – and place – is given.

Supply list:

• Bring your regular sketching tools, including soft pencils, pens, and watercolors.
• Ideally, your sketchbook pages should have a little texture
• The instructor will provide a graphite bar for participants for the first exercise.