Draw a Branch
Today we are going to study a natural element that is very prevalent as soon as we are outdoors: the branch. An extension of the tree, it can be the racing ground for mischievous squirrels, the realm of small birds, or the seat of a watchful elf.
So obviously, there are no branches without trees. Besides, you can find an article about learn to draw a tree created by Rakjah.
THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF BRANCHES
The branch truly being an extension of the trunk, it is necessary to remain consistent between the appearance of your branch and that of the trunk. A tree with a rather straight and smooth trunk will tend to have branches that are also rather straight and smooth.
Here, the branch on the left naturally extends the fairly straight trunk in the middle, and it's hard to imagine it fitting into the silhouette on the right.
Generally, branches are a succession of ramifications (blue dashes) from a guiding line (red line).
For a natural effect, avoid creating two branches at the same level, instead opting for a staggered distribution (green arrows). When you are drawing a long branch, avoid building your branch too symmetrically.
Let's take the same base and arrange the branches differently:
On drawing A:
On the branch (orange arrow), there is one at the top (blue arrow), one at the bottom, and one at the top…
It is entirely doable, but it's important to vary and break the symmetry from time to time.
In drawing B:
On the branch (orange arrow), there is one attached to the face in front of us (green arrow), one below, another one below, then one upwards (blue arrow).
It is necessary to maintain a global and balanced harmony, through symmetry, while keeping a dose of randomness and disruption, with a less orderly arrangement.
And most importantly, as I was saying at the beginning, it is necessary to respect the shape of the trunk. Thus, on a slightly "twisted" variety, the branches must be more tortuous, but the principle remains the same.
In the following drawing, the base is in red, the first branches are in blue, and the finest ones are in green.
Once you have your shape [1], you still have to apply the elements of the bark, the drawing of the wood [2] (which depends on the variety and the bark of the trunk), and why not a bit of moss or lichen [3].
You will also need to take into account the leaves of your tree.
Generally, leaves attach along the finest branches at the ends. Here in [A], you have chestnut leaves and in [B], those of the birch tree. In both cases, we find the same structure of the branch, with a red baseline and blue and green branches.
For the shapes of the foliage, if you opt for a specific tree species, you will need to carefully observe two elements: the shape of the leaves themselves, and also the way the leaves attach to the branch.
Now, if we "zoom out" a bit on our perspective, we can see that ultimately the entire tree is built on ramifications.
Here we can define the trunk as the main axis, in red, from which the first large branches will spread out (in blue).
Notice how the blue lines are distributed, not really symmetrically but nevertheless harmoniously.
Observation:
To improve your visualization/understanding of trees and their branches, a very good solution is to observe and draw the trees you encounter. Even if you don't have a notebook on hand, just while waiting for a bus for example, you can carefully observe the structure of a tree, what its trunk looks like, how you could simplify its bark, how its branches are distributed, are they broken, numerous, thick, etc.
And maybe then you'll notice that some trees have bare trunks. Indeed, branches are there to support leaves, and if there is little or no light, it's not necessary to have leaves, so we observe few or no branches.
In reality, it is observed that in groups of trees in artificial forests, for the exploitation of wood for example, the trees, all planted at the same time and too close together, have mostly bare trunks.
At the top of the next drawing is an illustration of this case. Only the trees “at the edge” of the group benefit from good sunlight and display branches along their entire height. On the other hand, the trees behind only have branches at the top. The individuals are too tightly packed against each other and the light, shown in yellow, does not penetrate sufficiently under the foliage (blue line). Ultimately, the heart of this forest, marked in red, receives too little light and the trunks are bare.
Conversely, in a "natural" forest we observe several varieties of trees that develop their foliage differently, either in height or in width (in purple and red) and individuals of different ages (younger ones here in blue) that benefit from the openings of light. And as such, each tree that dies releases a new space for light, which will benefit a new tree. The trees are less crowded, the light penetrates better (yellow arrow), and types of plants like ferns or bushes develop in the more shaded areas.
Finally, after this digression, let's get back to our topic!
DRAWING A BRANCH STEP BY STEP
We're going to draw a large branch, for instance, as part of a comic book bubble, with fairly tight framing.
Step 1: The trunk, though not visible, will be on the right and quite close. We will be on a somewhat tortuous branch.
Step 2: In my mind, the tree is old and a first branch, in red, was broken a long time ago.
Step 3: I'm marking the boundaries of the branch. In [A], I've added a small irregularity, maybe another broken or dead branch. I'm widening the end of the branch a bit so that it doesn't narrow too abruptly. I've created a bulge and a stump where the branch was broken. Note that my outline is full of small irregularities, as the bark is not a perfectly smooth surface.
Step 4: I have cleaned up the drawing.
ADDING DETAILS AND COLOR TO THE DRAWING
Step 1: To add a bit more texture and substance to the branch, knowing that I won't spend much time on coloring, I've added a few strokes. In red, I've placed some strokes around the "circles" where the broken branches attach. In purple, I've suggested the texture of the bark following the growth direction of the branch. In the green area, I've added only a few details, as it will mostly be covered with moss.
Step 2: I chose a brown-gray for the base coat.
Step 3: The light comes from above. I've lightened the areas and placed the shadow accordingly.
Step 4: I've "dirtied" the bark with a few touches of green with a lightly saturated and slightly dark hue.
Step 5: I've worked the foam a bit by adding a lighter yellow-green.
Step 6: I've reinforced the material by following the lines of the bark with a shade darker than the base shade.
Step 7: I've added a bit of material on the mossy areas with some strokes (in red), and placed a somewhat blurry background in the distance.
Step 8: I've enhanced the shadows and the highlights. It's finished!
I might be repeating myself, but I cannot recommend enough that you take inspiration from the trees (and even the bushes) that you come across every day.
In any case, it's important to keep in mind that the branch is a natural, irregular, and living element, so avoid overly straight and harsh lines, and instead opt for irregular and soft shapes.
Illustrator and writer: Elo Illus