The Artistic Anatomy of Trees

by Rex Vicat Cole

"Monumental book . . . Mr. Vicat Cole is a born teacher." — Contemporary Review
"Mr. Vicat Cole's ability as a landscape painter is well known, and he unites to his executive talents the qualifications of an accomplished teacher." — Connoisseur
"The name of the author is itself a guarantee that the subject is adequately treated. It is handled in a systematic and lucid way, which the novice . . . can follow with ease." — Studio
For years greatly admired and widely used, this excellent text by one of Britain's foremost art instructors has achieved the status of a classic in its field. The author, also a noted landscape painter, offers complete and accurate instruction in painting and drawing trees to all serious artists — beginner or advanced, amateur or professional. Its extremely comprehensive and detailed coverage has earned this volume a permanent place in the libraries of landscape painters, students, and teachers.
Every aspect of trees and how to depict them — in any style — is covered with unusual clarity and precision; problems of balancing tree groups, relations of light and shade, delicacy and weight, distance, sky apertures and their patterns, curves and straight lines in tree branches, tree color, the influence of special environmental factors (age, frost and snow, wind, moonlight), the effects of bud arrangements on the anatomy of trees, etc. Of special value is the very thorough and lucid analysis of tree the proportion of boughs, branches, and twigs; the positioning of leaves on twigs; the form, texture, and color of leaves; leaf patterns; flower arrangement; stipules, bracts, buds, scales, spines, seedlings, the bark, and all the other essential details of structure. Specific information is given for each tree oaks, sycamores, willows, pines, maples, etc.; abstract and inaccurate generalizations are avoided. Nearly 500 illustrations by the author accompany the text, demonstrating all the anatomical features discussed. In addition, there are 48 full-page magnificent landscape paintings and drawings by Giorgione, Rubens, Rembrandt, Van der Neer, Watteau, Hobbema, Turner, Gainsborough, Dupré, and many others, showing their compositional use of trees, their details in rendering, and similar material.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction, Reference, Nature, Drawing, Animals

416 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1915

Reviews

[Susan]

Third time I've read this. Still haven't read it enough. I'm going to leave on my Kindle and keep re-reading it--maybe for the rest of my life--just at varying rates of speed. The professional reviews here tell you exactly right about it. It's breathtaking. His respect for and understanding of his subject goes in its implications way beyond the issue of knowing how to draw trees. It's about knowing in general and about respect for what one does and for the world around us and for one's own capacity to comprehend. It's a beautiful beautiful book. Of all the art books I've read in my life, I think this is likely number one.

[Douglas Summers-Stay]

This is from 1915. The author has an unquestioned belief that there is a right and wrong way to do art, that some things are beautiful and others not, and genuinely wants to understand everything about trees so that he can paint them accurately, or better than accurately. It's more rambling than you'd expect in a modern how-to book. You can find a free version here: http://archive.org/details/artistican...

[Steve]

This book was sitting the shelf of a cabin that my girlfriend and I rented in Ashton, MA. I read it over the two days that I was there and loved it so much that I look back on that time like it was a true brain and hand party. It took a serious amount of restraint and the threat of huge prospective guilt to stop me from stealing it.

[Bryan]

Beautiful stuff!

I am only skimming through it, as it would take a lifetime to absorb it all in.

[Lydia]

Although this book is from 1915, it contains good advice for looking at trees and learning how to draw trees. It teaches you how to balance the dark spaces with light, to observe outlines, how trees grow, paying attention to different leaf and twig types and how to deal with flowers and fruits on trees. Cole illustrated the whole book with his own drawings, which are as useful and the words.

[Lukas M. Marot]

One of the most important books to read for serious artist which goes into great detail on how trees grow and their structure. Also the general study of simplified abstract shape making is greatly explained. I am very happy that this older discipline of learning and building a relationship with ones subject matter to this extent is till available.
Strongly recommend!

[Peony]

Good, useful, quite thorough and keen, if a bit rambling at the beginning. Covers trees, as well as flowers and leaves, a. short section on fruit, along with their growing patterns, details, compositions, and a lot of personal reminiscing about the author's favorite trees for a particular characteristic.

[Kalle Wescott]

I read /The Artistic Anatomy of Trees, Their Structure and Treatment in Painting/, by Rex Vicat Cole:

https://archive.org/details/artistica...

This book is incredible!

[Maurren]

Didactic older prose but excellent instruction on tree growth and resulting visual considerations from silhouettes to detailed branches and buds. Great drawings.

[SophieJaneK]

Beautiful book. Prefer it as a very detailed guide to trees than as a guide to painting though!

[Charles]

This is one of the first books I encourage my students to get when they begin to study landscape painting.

[Alessandra]

Useful.

[Andi Butler]

A nice little reference book for illustrators, as sometimes photographs don't show all the detail. I'm not sure if you can still buy it, but I was able to get it from the library

[John Majerle]

First published in 1915, I have found this book to be the best source for learning how to accurately render trees of a variety of types. Fortunately for us all Dover continues to publish this classic for a nominal price. All artists and artist wannabees shouldn't think twice about getting a hold of a copy of this book!