Chapter 3 | LEAVES
Exercise 1: Try to draw some of these twigs with various leaves.
Exercise 2: Draw a real leaf of a plant, shrub or tree. I chose a leaf from the ivy (Hedera) that grows almost everywhere. I did not start with the outline but very lightly with the five leaf veins that point from the branch to the furthest ends, like the hands of a clock. With some shadow and/or color it is nice to make the leaf a little more lively. If you don’t have a leaf at hand, start with the photo of the leaf below.
THE ART OF SIMPLIFICATION:
In comics, leaves are often simplified. Here’s an example of a small group of overlapping leaves.
Exercise 2: Draw such a group of leaves in the comic style. You can make the leaves more pointed if you like.
Exercise 3: Draw a tree with a foliage consisting of leaves in groups. It doesn’t really matter where you start. Let the groups point in various directions. Alternate between pressing harder and softer with your pencil.
Exercise 4: Sometimes a leaf-like outline alone is enough to characterize a tree. Within that outline you won’t have to draw many leaves. Draw these three different kinds of trees.
