The Artistic Anatomy of Trees

Some good quotes: "Often we see trees which seem to not to have a true balance. To see them in nature is one thing, to live with them in a picture is another - and undesirable. To give them an insecure appearance in our drawing, and to be unaware of having done so is inexcuseable." Much information is given to prevent this type of error. "When the roots show above the ground they serve as it were for a stand, and the trunk holds itself the better for them." " Massed trees afford an opportunity for strength of colour and simplicity of tone. ..., and need not be frittered away into bits of light and dark or oddments of colour." The hundreds of pictures in this book are in black and white but does not hinder the all the great information given.

I thought the 1st 3 chapters were excellent, the remainder of the book could have probably been condensed into another 3 chapters but instead goes on for much longer than that and begins to get more into botany than art. Still, extremely informative and the 1st 3 chapters alone are worth the price of the book. Excellent plates and illustrations give visual references to mentioned material. A must read for anyone interested in landscapes.

A wonderful landscape book that tells you everything you need to know in a very truthful way compared to other landscape books that I know. It is a right book for any serious artist and Would-be artist to enhance his or her knowledge in this field for if their pursue is to learn a solid fundamentals. I have read throught the book and have followed the guidance to observe reality with what it teaches and I have benefit a lot from it. You won't be disappointed with the contenes that it has offered.

Many years ago I learned a very subtle, but critical lesson from one of the grand old masters of oil painting, David Leffel. The first impulse of any artist is to ask "How do I _____?". How do I paint a vase? How do I paint a tree? How do I paint water? How do I get my work into the galleries?, etc. Upon careful scrutiny it may be observed that by asking "How do I", all sensitivity toward the subject is replaced by a desire to control. It is ironic that many artists so crave adulation and success that there is little energy left over to excel at their art. Those who learn to paint well have little competition, because there are relatively few people that paint well. We must therefore remind ourselves to ask why things are the way they are, and by careful and humble observation appreciate what we are looking at. The "How" cannot fail to manifest once a certain depth of observation is attained. A book like this helps because it makes us aware that the shape of every tree - trunk, limb and branch - have written into them a history of survival, of harsh winters, damaging winds, competition for sunlight, and even a respect for their neighbors. A little patience yields a new perspective and appreciation for these large, silent denizens of our planet, and an unmistakable improvement in subsequent landscapes recognized by artist and patron alike.

This book may not be gorgeous, but it goes into excellent detail about the structure of tree branches, shapes, buds, fruits and leaves. Everything from the shape of branches in a windswept oak to the way the leaves and flowers are structured is covered for flowering leaf trees. Conifers are not covered. The composition of groups of trees as well as examples from artwork are here. The plates are rather hazy and old, as befits this classic work, but it still is a standard for European trees.