If you’re drawing a young, small tree, keep in mind that there probably aren’t very many large branches and they’ll be much thinner than the branches of a large, old tree.
Vary the sizes of the branches so they look more natural.
You can also smudge some of the graphite with a blending stump. This can help create shadows and depth. If you’re drawing a tree from real life, pay attention with where the light and shadows shift from top to bottom and from one side to the other. [7] X Expert Source Kelly MedfordProfessional Artist Expert Interview. 10 March 2021
Make some of the leafy areas darker to show depth within the tree. If you’re drawing a tree in the winter, you could skip drawing leaves or just draw a few that are still clinging to the branches.
You can make your tree trunk as straight or curved as you like.
Keep your hand loose and relaxed as you work in order to make a more realistic-looking tree.
If you don’t have a blending stump, you can gently rub the paper with your clean finger.
Fill out the trunk so it’s as wide as you like.
