#6 Maple Tree

Here's a Maple tree for my latest in the tree series. This piece took me longer than I originally planned for, as I decided to deviate from my normal illustrative workflow. In the process, I found out a few ways that work well, and others that don't - like when to use Vector shapes vs. simple lasso selection in Photoshop. I'm also refining my use of texture, composition, and most importantly color. Color is the last part I handle after I've established the value for the piece. For me, it's the toughest, but well worth it!

Check out the process in the attachment. I've been improving my sketching, too! I felt there was too much of a jump between sketching and value, so roughing out the lights and darks early on helps me visualize where to go next.