Drawing can be more than the end product of a pleasing picture. It can be a meditation.
I like to keep it simple. Fall is a great time to notice the changing trees. The observation and meditation begins outside of the studio. I like to take pictures, and then reference them back in the studio for drawings and prints.
Trees can be a foundation for other kinds of marks and imageries, like birds and backgrounds and mountains.
You can use a combination of very simple materials to create tree like images. One of my favorites loose watercolors.
You can create lovely abstract trees with the gelatin plate and ink. I like to combine those marks with collaged trees and painted birds.
It is fun to get up close and noticed the textures of the tree bark. You can find animals and plants that make these trees their home.
I sometimes just draw a bunch of trees to get started in a page in my sketchbook.
If you would like to explore making trees with the gelatin plate, and other materials, then check out the details in the online class Torn Trees. It is the sale class for the month of September.