Activity

Hi Catherine- another interesting branch segment! It is important to have our illustrations be as accurate as possible in size and shape. You can measure the branch or even trace the branch as it is lying on your paper. Yours needs to be longer, wider and I would definitely try to illustrate that angle and jog near the top. You will see on Wendy’s videos and in her books how we start by establishing the highlight and range of tones to establish the subject’s form. Then you can apply the color and keep working on the toning as you go so you don’t lose the form when you add the color. Lighten your cast shadow a little. It will be darkest at the edge of the branch and fade as it moves away. You don’t want the cast shadow to be too dark so that it competes with the branch. There is a lot to keep in mind when you start out, but it will come to be second nature the more you do it!