How to draw a tree trunk with light and shadow. Tutorial with oil pastel.
- Yulia Balobanova
- Jan 27, 2022
- 1 min read
January is about oil pastel.
You can read previous posts about different types of oil pastels:
You can also see my blog posts with tutorials, read descriptions and watch YouTube videos.
This tutorial about a tree trunk and how to show its volume.
Tip: in order to show light and shadow, you should take at least 3 different tones^ light, medium and dark.
In this tutorial I use Sakura Expressionist oil pastel and their names of colors. However you can take your own colors, keep in mind they must be with different tones!
Steps:
With cobalt blue draw a big trunk and branches, then a horizon line.
Color space between brunches.
With pale green do the bottom part of the sky until a line of background trees.
With ultramarine - top of the sky.
With cobalt blue soften ultramarine.
With prussian blue do background trees - just a shape, from the right side do not press on you oil stick.
With cobalt blue create a cast shadow from the tree and add a bit ultramarine on the shadow close to the trunk.
With naple yellow color snow on the ground.
With white create the second layer of the snow.
With sepia do shadows on the trunk and brunches from the right side.
With brown create a medium tone on the tree.
With naple yellow create lights and a few thin branches.
With brown and sepia draw more thin branches.
With white do some lines on the background and highlights on the tree.
Done! Have fun and enjoy!
Next tutorial will be about winter landscape. Stay tuned!
This oil pastel tutorial beautifully explains how to create depth, light, and shadow on a tree trunk using simple layering techniques. The step-by-step process makes it easy for beginners to follow while also helping artists improve their understanding of tones and texture. Using light, medium, and dark shades adds realistic volume to the artwork. Just like creativity matters in art, attention to detail also matters in fashion at Custom Hats Makers, where style and design come together perfectly.
It’s inspiring to see how this tutorial beautifully explains the use of oil pastels to create realistic light and shadow effects in a tree trunk drawing. The step-by-step approach makes it easy for beginners to understand how simple techniques can bring depth and life to artwork. Such creative learning experiences can be perfectly paired with customized graphic tshirts, turning artistic inspiration into wearable designs that reflect personal style and creativity.
This looks like a helpful and creative tutorial, especially for learning light and shadow in a simple way. I am also looking for a resume writing services ottawa, so if anyone knows a good and trusted one please share with me.
This tutorial is very helpful and clearly explained, especially for beginners learning how to use oil pastels. I really like how the light and shadow techniques are demonstrated step by step, making it easier to understand depth and texture. It’s a great way to improve drawing skills with simple guidance. best CV Writing service can also help individuals present their creative skills professionally in portfolios and resumes. Overall, a very useful and inspiring guide for artists!
Really clear and beginner-friendly tutorial—your step-by-step breakdown of tones makes light and shadow much easier to understand. I especially liked how you explained building volume with just three main values. Creative guides like this are a great reminder of how much details and texture matter in visual work. At The American Patch, we see the same principle when designing custom embroidered patches—depth, highlights, and shadows make a design come alive. Looking forward to the winter landscape tutorial!