Orange Instead of Pink

 

11/7/26 cherry trees, Sunset Hill neighborhood

A couple of years ago, I had caught the Sunset Hill cherry trees when they had barely begun turning. This year, although I knew they would be long past their peak color by now, I wanted to see them anyway. Among my favorites in the spring when they blossom, these old trees have amazing shapes that are beautiful even when bald.

The one I chose to sketch is distinctive because pink blossoms bloom directly from its trunk in spring (see photo at end of post taken a few years ago). Orange leaves have now taken their place.

Detail of leaves and limbs made with the fude of colored pencils

Technical notes: I’ve talked before about how Derwent Drawing pencils are the fude of colored pencils. This sketch is an ideal example of the pencils’ hidden talent. First, look at those single-stroke leaves (detail at right) that I made with the side of the core. Second, I got great line variation making those tapered limbs, just as with a brush. Third, the entire background behind the focal tree was a bunch of dark foliage and other stuff that I didn’t want to draw (nor did I want them to pull attention away from the tree by giving them detail). Again, I just took the side of the core to smudge in some vague darkness – just as quickly and efficiently as paint!

The whole time I was planning Pencilvember this year, I had anticipated that a major challenge would be the time-consuming nature of colored pencils when I don’t have water to intensify pigments quickly. While it’s not the same look, I’m not sure I would have gained much by applying water here (if these had been water-soluble pencils). What’s more, this sketch is the same A5-ish size as sketches I usually make with watercolor pencils, yet it took me about the same length of time. A week into the challenge, I haven’t felt frustrated as I had expected.

Here's the trunk of the tree I sketched. In spring, blossoms bloom directly from the trunk.