GR#011 - Trees - Canopy Styles

[Scribblette]

I sure hope it's less complicated than I've been thinking. That'd be such a relief. Even if I'm lost on good ways to add fine detail, I'm lost anyway if I'm still pillow shading!

I'll do as you suggest and work with something small and grab one of the ditties to work to. Updates will follow after sleep.

[Dusty]

I think the third one from the bottom left would be one worth continuing as well, without actually messing much more with it. Just add the highlights and details as needed, and don't really touch the dark areas. I really like the shape going on but your edits after that seems to have destroyed that form.

[Scribblette]

I liked where it seemed to be going too, but it seems I don't have the knowledge of HOW to add the highlights and details in there - yet. I'm, I'm - I'm a pillow shader! *cry*

I'll definitely come back to it, but first I should work with smaller things to see if I have a grasp of the basics at all. I tend to over reach.

Beware the pillow shades, my son
the lights that bulge, the curves that band!
Beware the colored blobs, and shun
the shading symmetry bland!

[Scribblette]

I updated Project Broccoli II above a few days ago. I've been focusing on other things, but thought I'd complete the leaf placement on the Leafy Tree to just get it out of the way. Only had a short time to mess with it, so it's obviously not finished with anti-aliasing and proper highlighting (and perspective is off, should have gaps for branches, and as always, ignore the trunk, etc), but it clues one in to how such an approach could look.



As advised by people here, I'm moving on to smaller plants, learning how to shade individual leaves, focusing on the basics and making some progress drawing trees that are trees that look nothing like trees yet are interpreted as trees. Updates will be unlikely for a bit.

I think a thread on shading semi-basic shapes that aren't easily googled and don't follow basic rules (from what I've been told) - donuts, flat topped discs and the like - would be more helpful, perhaps.

[bengo]

Looking good, one little thing thats bothering me... the trunk looks... it just looks off to me, keep up the good work.

[Scribblette]

Aye, it looks very off. I forgot the 'ignore the trunk' disclaimer for shading, but I did mention perspective because of it - the trunk would need to be tilted towards the viewer to work.

[ndrake]

Scribblette you might find these "aquatic bonsais" interesting

Attention: non-pixelart!
http://img104.imageshack.us/img104/5215/84842505.png
http://img11.imageshack.us/img11/5883/starmoos.png

[Scribblette]

It is rather fascinating, the umpteen-illion ways nature presents plant & mineral forms that'd serve marvellously for tree designs, hey! Thanks for the links. I think one of my favorite designs so far is the logo by, I think it was, Silver Tree Media - like a giant mosaic snail upon snail spiral set atop a narrow trunk. It was the clearest indication that a tree needn't look just like a tree.

I didn't realize I hadn't updated the thread in so long - so many things have been happening and I've been very focused on creating character in people. We're moving in a couple weeks, but I'm hoping to be back on here - with tree work - not long after that.

[happymonster]

Just in case you've not noticed this, but most of your individual leaves are the same size, which tends to lead to it looking like a repeated pattern. Some of the example art trees had all different sized leaves. Might be worth trying..

[micintexp]

In real life there's certain trees with the same size of leaves