“Taking a blank sheet of paper and making a cherry tree come to life is quite a feat of magic!” exclaimed Jenny, wide eyed and full of awe. She had been drawing since she was just a little girl and was a master of the craft. With enthusiasm and determination, she proceeded to spell out the tips and tricks to draw the perfect cherry tree.
Before anything else, Jenny recommended finding an inspirational cherry tree to study. “Take your time to observe,” she said. “The more you look, the more you’ll understand—the shape and angle of the bark, the apple-y green of the leaves and the warm, dark pink of the cherries.” With a few sketching supplies and away you go!
To begin the masterpiece, Jenny advised creating an accurate and detailed sketch of the main shapes and structure of the tree. “Start at the base,” she encouraged. “Draw the outline of the trunk and branches, gradually filling in the details. Remember to add additional branches and twists to give the tree an unique, realistic look.” She advised pausing to admire and adjust the structure until it was exactly as desired.
Once the main shape of the tree had been established, Jenny explained the importance of adding texture. “Press the pencil into the paper to give the bark a bumpy, uneven look,” she said, her hands gently manipulating the pencil for effect. The leaves should be drawn with careful attention to the grooves and curves. With each layer, new details could be added. “Notice the way that the light gives the leaves a slight shine,” Jenny observed. “That’s the kind of effect we should be aiming for!”
Finally, to create the cherries, Jenny taught her audience to use quick, sharp, curved strokes of the pencil. She showed them how to layer the colors, adding in subtle highlights for a realistic look. “Don’t forget that each cherry is unique—no two are the same,” Jenny reminded. “Notice the way the light reflects off of them and how they catch the eye.”
Jenny then directed them to the background, encouraging them to add depth and create an atmosphere with shadows, highlights and soft outlines. “Remember to leave some blank space—it should always look slightly unfinished, like there’s more to this picture,” she said. Jenny then stepped back and admired her work. A perfect cherry tree—created with a few simple pencil strokes and her own determination!
With a few small tweaks and clever use of texture, shading and highlights, Jenny taught her peers that it was possible to create a cherry tree so lifelike it almost seemed to be growing from the paper. She urged her audience to continue practicing and honing their skills, and that with a little patience and practice, anyone could turn a blank sheet of paper into a breathtaking work of art.
Next, Jenny turned her attention to outlining and darkened the highlights and shadows. With deft strokes of her pencil, she used contrast to add extra depth and texture to the tree. “Notice how the outlines gives an extra level of realism to the tree,” she said. “Look closely and see how the contrast helps the details to pop out.”
Once the outlining was done, Jenny focused on adding the finishing touches. “This is the fun part—adding the colors!” she exclaimed. She used light, sweeping strokes to add the sunny yellow of the leaves, the warming tones of the bark, and the unique blush of the cherries. As you can imagine, each color was added with exquisite attention to detail and care. “This helps take the tree from a flat shape to a genuine, living creature of nature!” Jenny exclaimed.
Once that last stroke of the brush was complete, the cherry tree seemed to jump out of the paper. With its beautiful colors and lifelike details, it was the perfect representation of a cherry tree. “This is what you can achieve with a bit of creativity, practice and patience,” Jenny reminded her audience. “A magical cherry tree, brought to life with nothing more than a few pencils and paper.”
