Tree Studies
Bailey Kalesti
I studied trees this past week. Drawing principally from native Colorado flora, I've been trying to get better at understanding how they grow. And as a designer, I've been tinkering with ways to distill the shapes into simpler parts.
Colorado has a unique look, and much of this is thanks to the types of trees that cover its mountains. Aspen trees will definitely show up in this film, but pine trees will be bountiful. So I've been studying pine growth patterns. Colorado (at the altitude that this film is set) has ponderosa pines and lodgepole pines. These pines are big and tall, with almost sparse looking branch patterns. Most pine trees in Colorado don't look like Christmas trees.
Early development, especially during the research phase, includes a LOT of bad drawings. This is when artists are trying to wrap their minds around the problems. It's also a time for cheap experimentation. Cheap just means done quickly and not wasting time on a bad idea. Below are a couple scribbles from my sketchbook. It's not art, but it is part of the process. Take a look:
Rough drawings straight from the sketchbook. See? Don't be afraid to just get the vague idea across. The pine trees are just squiggles, but they read.
Sketching is massively useful. In a matter of seconds, I can see if an idea has potential or not. Hopefully this is interesting. Until next week!
Bailey