Help! I've Got the Measles!

A common problem I see in my workshops involves the foliage on trees. Often students seem to want to create the texture of leaves rather than thinking in terms of clumps and shapes of foliage.

They pat, pat, pat, pat, pat.....and Voila! They have a case of The Measles!

In example #2, instead of pat, pat, pat, there are strokes. The outline of the tree is better.

The leaves are defined at the edge of the shape, not within the shape. But the edges look like the tree is electrified, and there are no groups of foliage.

Example #3 shows how different sized clumps of foliage can be defined. The tops of the clump are rounded while the bottom edges give a hint of leaves.

The key is connecting the leaves to form different sized shapes. No more measles!