When a person first picks up a pencil to draw a forest, he is faced with a problem: how to draw a huge number of small details? As a child, I asked a similar question to my teacher: “How should I draw trees correctly - should I draw all the leaves or not?” To which he replied with a smile: “Of course not!” How then to draw a forest correctly?
1. Conveying space and perspective in a forest drawing.
When artists paint interiors or city streets, then everything is clear with perspective. Rectangular, simple geometric shapes easily “fit” into perspective reduction. Here it is easy to outline the horizon line and bring all sides of the buildings to the vanishing point. But how is space organized in the forest, where it is filled with all sorts of branches, snags, foliage... In the illustration, I specially drew a diagram of five planes, reminiscent of a room. This makes it easier for a beginning artist to imagine space. Further, against this background distribute trees. Trees have trunks and crowns where the shapes are far from simple geometric. They are “clumsy” because they have many bends and kinks, and also abound in such details as bark, small branches, etc. But, despite these “difficulties,” they also subordinate linear perspective, just like rectangles. The tree trunks in the foreground are larger, in the second they are smaller, etc. In addition, one tree covers another or one branch covers part of another branch. The trees in the foreground are so large that they do not fit into the sheet and extend beyond its frame. Thus, the viewer finds himself inside the forest, and is not an observer from the outside when the forest is built like a wall next to him.
In the illustrations, I gave an example from my drawings, where the forest is drawn “from the outside” and “from the inside”. Therefore, you need to remember that it is possible different angles and points of view. I.I. Shishkin loved to paint the forest, “placing” the viewer inside.
2. Generalization of small parts into masses of large, medium and small sizes.
In a forest drawing, of course, you can highlight individual leaves, focusing on the compositional center. I devoted a separate article to this issue, which you can read. However, more often the artist has to generalize. It is generalization that is always more difficult for beginners than drawing details. But it is necessary. So, what needs to be summarized and how? You need to generalize individual leaves and branches that form groups or masses. These groups should not be made the same size. Everything in nature is dynamic. Therefore, the drawing must be dynamic, and this is achieved through the transmission of rhythm. Rhythm is created when the artist does not create “sameness” in the drawing. Therefore, the masses of foliage will be different in size- large, medium, small. But the rhythm will be transmitted not only by size, but also degree of generalization. We greatly generalize some masses of branches and leaves, literally blurring the image. For example, it is appropriate in the background. But we can’t generalize some groups so much: in them you can discern a certain semblance of foliage that forms a “clumsy” texture. Well, individual groups in the foreground will, of course, contain details: carefully drawn leaves and branches. However, they will belong this group. But separately located trees, branches, leaves need to be detailed with care. If there are too many such objects in the drawing, they will look “glued” to the drawing and will not part a single whole, which will cause a “cartoonish” and unnatural effect.
3. Volume in natural forms.
It is, of course, easier to convey the volume of a cylinder or ball when we draw a still life. But in the forest, there are no such forms. At first sight. But if you look closely, then in basis the shape of the tree trunks remains the same cylinder. IN basis intricately shaped groups of foliage - ball. IN basis paths in the forest - tetrahedral corridor shape. And so on. Understanding It is easier for an artist to generalize natural forms and convey volume. Chiaroscuro can be seen on tree trunks, on masses of foliage and individual leaves, on the entire crown of a tree, and even on a whole group of many trees. As an example, I illustrated chiaroscuro on a tree trunk. Although its shape is based on a cylinder, it still has irregularities and bends. In addition, the trunk is covered with bark, which has its own characteristics for each tree species. Therefore, the shading will not be smooth, but more textured. Here, each artist has his own shading techniques, so let’s not philosophize beyond what is necessary and create unnecessary templates. As for chiaroscuro in general, it is built from light, penumbra, shadow, reflex and falling shadow. It’s easier to understand this on a jug or in a still life drawing. How can you see such subtleties in the mass of foliage? Observation is important here. No wonder I.I. Shishkin is called a naturalist. He studied nature in detail, memorized varieties of grasses and trees. Therefore, watching the forest, you can see all the nuances of chiaroscuro in foliage, branches, etc. academic drawing this is called light-shadow modeling of shape. Namely, modeling. That is, here you need to model, not copy, but understand the essence by observing nature.
In drawing a forest, of course, there are other issues that cannot be covered in one article. But the three aspects I've listed here are key. That's why I called them the keys to success. Keeping them in mind, you can learn to draw a forest professionally and competently.
→ Drawing a forest
What you will need
In order to draw a forest we may need:
- Paper. It is better to take medium-grain special paper: beginning artists will find it much more pleasant to draw on this kind of paper.
- Sharpened pencils. I advise you to take several degrees of hardness, each should be used for different purposes.
- Eraser.
- Stick for rubbing hatching. You can use plain paper rolled into a cone. It will be easy for her to rub the shading, turning it into a monotonous color.
- A little patience.
- Good mood.
Step by step lesson
True nature in all its beauty can only be revealed if you draw it from life. It will be much better to draw if you look directly at the forest. If this is not possible, then ordinary photographs, which are simply in abundance in search engines, can help out.
By the way, in addition to this lesson, I advise you to pay attention to the lesson “”. It will help improve your skill or just give you a little fun.
Tip: create a sketch with as thin strokes as possible. The thicker the sketch strokes are, the more difficult it will be to erase them later.
The first step, or rather the zero step, is always to mark a sheet of paper. This will let you know where exactly the drawing will be located. If you place the drawing on half of the sheet, you can use the other half for another drawing. Here is an example of marking a sheet in the center:
Step one. Let's start with a simple thing: draw a horizon line, and draw a path with two vertical lines.
Step two. On the sides of the invented path we draw tree trunks, large and small.
Step three. Let's draw the trunks higher and draw their bottoms with a pencil. We’ll also add some grass at the base of the trunks.
Sha is the fourth. Finally, let’s draw the tops with branches and add shadows.
Step five.
Step six.
Save the forest - use paper on both sides (just not in the toilet). But it's better to plant new plants.
So you learned how to draw a forest, I hope it was interesting and informative. Now you can pay attention to the lesson “” - it is just as interesting and exciting. Well, the buttons social networks It's not just like that =)
Nature is an eternal source of inspiration creative people. Poets and prose writers, composers and artists dedicate their works to her. One of the most common landscape subjects is the forest. This is not surprising. It can be so different. Good and beautiful at any time of the year. What kind of flowers can you see in the crowns of trees!
Pencil painting
Every artist has his favorite materials for drawing, fortunately, now there are great amount their types. However, among the favorites is still the usual simple pencil.
Before starting work, the master needs to think about how to draw a forest with a pencil, since it is quite difficult to convey all the beauty of the landscape with just one color.
The difficulty may also lie in the fact that it is difficult for novice talents to convey the shadow.
To make the image more voluminous, it is necessary to apply it with strokes. It is better to make lines in different keys.
How to draw a forest with a pencil step by step?
When choosing this type of drawing, you first need to depict common features. First of all, straight lines appear on paper. curved lines. These are sketches of future trees and hills. After this you need to draw several thick trunks.
The next step is to place the bushes and grass.
When this is done, you should depict the trees that grow in the background.
If all the main objects are already placed on the canvas, then you need to think about the details. In how to draw a forest, it is very important that the picture is believable. To make the image look realistic, the artist uses shading. The stroke can be either horizontal or vertical. It is necessary to leave some areas of the image undarkened - those where the color falls. A similar effect can be achieved using an eraser.
Tree image
Trees are the main components of the picture. When thinking about how to draw a forest, you should learn how to draw trees. When drawing a sketch of each individual tree on paper, you need to consider some rules:
- the further away the object is, the more it will be enveloped in bluish fog, and the contours of the image will look fuzzy, as if blurry (one of the rules of aerial perspective);
- The closer the tree is to the master, the more saturated the color of its crown will be.
Can help create a beautiful texture right choice Drawing papers: Watercolor paper may have rough edges. They will help create beautiful view leaves and tree bark. To do this, you need to not press the pencil too hard when shading the surface.
In order for the image to look realistic, it is important to be able to work correctly with the foreground and background of the picture. For example, so that trees that are closer do not mix with those that grow a little further, they need to be painted with brighter colors.
Watercolor drawing
For those who prefer to paint with a brush, watercolors are perfect for painting.
When starting work, you need to sketch out the landscape. This is best done with a pencil. Draw the sketch with thin lines, otherwise a shadow may appear on the picture.
After the sketches are made, you need to start depicting the sky. Having chosen its location, you need to apply ultramarine and cobalt colors to it. In order for the line of clouds to be clearly visible, it is better to draw its edge with diluted burnt umber. A good option if carmine is added to it.
If the question arises about how to draw a forest especially expressively, then you should know that for this purpose more attention is paid to the foreground. The grass is drawn with jerky, sharp movements.
Leaves can be depicted in any color that your imagination suggests. The variation that uses a large number of various shades.
When choosing how to draw a forest, it is important to choose a method that will bring as much pleasure as possible from creative work. Young artists should sometimes listen to advice on how to choose the right light, what time of day to paint, and how to create the right color scheme. But the main thing is unity with nature and creative impulse.
If the artist has a developed sense of harmony, how to draw a forest step by step fades into the background. Any manner of execution will only emphasize the beauty.
Every 4 seconds, an area of forest equal to a standard football field is cut down around the world. This is statistics. The fastest rate of deforestation in Southeast Asia. The Chinese are multiplying, but they have nowhere to live. So what should I do? We need drawing paper! I want to tell you how to draw a forest with a pencil. This won't restore our fauna, but it's worth a try. Forest Facts:
- Aokihara Forest, or Suicide Forest. The strange place deservedly received its name. It itself is so thick that light practically does not penetrate there, and compasses stop working. For some reason, this particular place in Japan has become a favorite place for those wishing to commit suicide (apparently, some do not have the courage to commit hara-kiri).
- In the Kaliningrad region there is a forest that local residents called Dancing, or drunk. No, alcoholics and drug addicts do not gather there. The fact is that pine trees grow on 1 square kilometer, which, for a reason unknown to science, twisted their trunks strangely. Some were completely wrapped in knots. As if they were tormented by stomach pain.
- It is generally accepted that rainforests full of different sounds and noises. I will disappoint you - during the day the jungle is quieter than a sleeping child. The life of all animals there begins at night, and even then they behave very carefully and quietly.
Let's try to draw.
How to draw a forest with a pencil step by step
Step one. Let's start with a simple thing: draw a horizon line, and draw a path with two vertical lines. 
Step two. On the sides of the invented path we draw tree trunks, large and small. 
Step three. Let's draw the trunks higher and draw their bottoms with a pencil. We’ll also add some grass at the base of the trunks. 
Sha is the fourth. Finally, let’s draw the tops with branches and add shadows. 
Step five. 
Step six. 
Save the forest - use paper on both sides (just not in the toilet). But it's better to plant new plants. I look forward to your wishes and ideas on this page.
Taiga is a very beautiful and stunning place. It is difficult to convey its beauty, but in this article we will try to do this and demonstrate how to draw a taiga forest. A total of four master classes will be shown with different levels difficulties. Some examples are suitable for experienced artists, while others are suitable for children.
Forest with river
This area has many rivers and is home to a large number of animals. In this paragraph we will figure out how to draw a taiga forest with a river and deer. Be sure to sharpen your pencils, otherwise the drawing will turn out sloppy. After that you can start drawing!
We are working on the background of the picture. To do this, the lower part should turn light blue; a river will flow in this place. Then green is the shore, light blue is the background, and green again is the foliage.
On the left side we draw trunks and a bush.
Now we have come to the most interesting stage. Let's draw deer and trunks in the background. The farther the tree is from us, the lighter it will be. Thanks to this, we create the effect of space, which is necessary in drawing forests.
We draw on the sheet and the drawing is complete.
Be sure to watch the video that demonstrates the drawing process of this example. After seeing how the artist works on this drawing, you will immediately find answers to many questions that you might have.
Mixed forest
IN in this example we'll look at how to draw mixed forest taiga In such a forest, both coniferous and deciduous trees grow at the same time, and this is exactly what we will reflect in our example.
This paragraph will consist of only two stages. The drawing is quite simple, so we see no point in describing in detail how to draw this or that element. If you want to study the drawing process in detail, you can watch the video.
At the first stage we make a sketch. In the distance there will be a horizon, to which there is a long path. And along the edges we will depict coniferous and deciduous trees.
Now we take colored pencils and color our sketch. There is nothing complicated here either and you will definitely get a beautiful drawing of the taiga forest!
Simple example
This is an excellent drawing example that will tell you how to draw a mixed and broad-leaved taiga forest. There are no complicated or small elements, so this drawing technique can be suitable for children of any age.
All that will be shown in the picture is a forest, namely a large number of different trees. At the first stage, we will draw a Christmas tree on the left side, and a little to the right three more trees of different sizes.
On the right we will draw a couple more Christmas trees, and in the lower part we will draw small bushes.
We decided to make our drawing unusual and paint it in a variety of colors. The taiga forest has become very bright and diverse. If you don’t like this option, then you can choose different shades of green and color your drawing in them.
Complex example
I would like to devote the final paragraph to realistic and complex drawing techniques. This time we will figure out how to draw a taiga forest with a pencil, it will be thick and have a large number of small elements that will definitely need to be drawn!
Using a regular pencil we draw a sketch of our forest. Here we are simply putting some details in their places. IN in this case Paths, mountains and trees are placed in places. Everything is in your hands and you can add some elements of your own, for example, depict a bear or walking tourists in the middle of the path.
Colored pencils come into play. Let's make the ground light green and paint the trunks brown. Also, let's paint on the leaf. Please note that it is not a solid color; it is darker in some places and lighter in others.
We color the mountains and paint on the grass in the foreground. Watch your pencils. In order for the drawing to be beautiful and neat, it must always be sharpened!
Coloring the path in Brown color, and also work on detailing background. It will depict trees, but since they are very far away and hard to see, you can simply do vertical shading.
We are finalizing the small details and the work on the taiga forest drawing is complete!