Branch Bloom Drawing

BRANCH BLOOM LINE DRAWING

Forcing branches to bloom indoors is a great way to pass the time while waiting for the snow to melt and spring to start in Alaska. You can cut small branches from trees in your yard and put them indoors in a cup of water. In a week or so the buds will sprout leaves and depending on the type of tree, some may have flowers. These indoor branch blooms make lovely subject matter for still life drawing. If it’s a sunny day you can also take them outside to draw shadow contour line drawings.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Cut a few branches from trees in your yard that are beginning to bud.

2. Place the branches in a jar or bottle of water on a table near a window.

3. Wait for the branches to leaf out and bloom indoors.

4. Get a piece of paper and a pencil or ink pen.

5. Draw a contour line drawing of your branch blooms.

6. You may also want to try drawing a blind contour or continuous contour line drawing of your branch blooms.

7. If it is a sunny day, take the vase of branch blooms outside and do a contour drawing of the shadow. If there is no sun, you can use a lamp as a light source indoors to create a shadow.

8. Place a large piece of paper behind or under your branch bloom vase.

9. Stand behind the paper to make sure you don’t block the sun or light source.

10. Use a pencil to trace the outline of the branch bloom shadow on your paper.

11. You may need to tape your paper down or set something on the corners like a rock to keep it from moving or blowing in the wind.

12. Be careful not to move the still life or the paper so that it lines up properly with your shadow as you draw.

13. You can also try just drawing from observation using contour lines or try a blind contour line drawing, and continuous contour line drawing. (Definitions below).

Contour lines define the outline of a form, as well as interior structure, without the use of shading. It is used to capture the essence of a subject with a few simple lines. By focusing on the contour lines, you can create a powerful image that captures the shape and form of the subject without excessive detail.

Blind contour line. A blind contour line is created by drawing an object while looking only at the object, not at the paper.

Continuous contour line. Continuous contour lines are created by drawing a subject without lifting the pen from the paper. This type of line is great for creating intricate, detailed drawings and can be used to create a sense of texture and depth.