Although sycamores naturally range into north Florida, landscapers have been planting them in our area of Southwest Florida. I enjoy finding their huge leaves on the ground – they make interesting subjects to draw as they dry and twist and wrinkle into challenging shapes.
Sycamore trees are one of our largest species in North America – up to 100 feet or more – and can develop massive trunks. Besides the distinctive huge leaves (these are 11 inches across!), sycamore trees also produce a flaky bark of gray, brown, and cream colors.
The scientific name
Platanus occidentalis refers to the wide, large leaves (
Plantanus from the Greek for broad, and location (
occidentalis meaning “western,” as in the western hemisphere).
The common name meaning of sycamore is a bit more of a mystery. Online sources give two or three versions, but
word-origins.com seems to have the most concise: a compound word evolving via Greek, Latin, Hebrew, and French translations meaning fig-mulberry.
I’ve painted sycamore leaves in the past, but this time I wanted to explore those amazing shapes with pencil. I used my PentalicNature Sketch pad, and was happy with the way the tooth grabbed the pencil, and allowed for both soft blending of pencil strokes as welll as distinctive lines.
I used an ordinary mechanical pencil for this (.7 mm, probably an HB), and I had to be careful of smearing. If I want to preserve my work, I’ll have to spray it with fixative.
If you’d like to read more about sycamore trees, I found both of these online articles interesting:
If you’d like to see my sketchbook paintings of sycamore leaves, please visit my Flickr site and
start here. These are a series of leaf studies using different primary triads of Daniel Smith watercolors. The differences are subtle, but I learned a lot!
To see the top image larger, just click on it to visit my Flickr photostream.
Abosolutely, you must use fixative for this lovely drawing!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jeanette - I sprayed it first thing this morning, after I unclogged the nozzle to the spray can. I am not as tidy as you are. :)
ReplyDeleteBeautiful renderings, Elizabeth!!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Pam - they were fun!
ReplyDeleteNice, Elizabeth! We had two sycamore trees in the backyard of our last house. They were pretty, but messy. I pitied our next door neighbor who had an uncaged pool...
ReplyDeleteHa Kathy :) They are quite messy, although stately and attractive trees. I vote for planting them at the back of the yard just for that reason - oh, your poor neighbors. At least the leaves are quite large!
ReplyDeleteSeeing these marvelous drawings makes me want to get out my pencil and start drawing. The sycamore is one of my favorite trees. Several years ago I read a story about an indian myth associated with Sycamores. I wish I could remember the story. It was magical just as I imagine this tree is.
ReplyDeleteGorgeous work, Elizabeth!
ReplyDeleteHi Lisa, and thank you! I had forgotten how much I enjoy pencil sketching,so don't put it off like me! ;-) I love myth and symbol, so if you remember the story, I'd love to hear about it.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Laure! I appreciate your visit!
WOW, those are beautiful!
ReplyDeleteThank you ~ and thanks for visiting, Karen!
ReplyDelete