Gnarly Tree Shafts

Here is the dissected anatomy of a tree shaft - it's made of subordinate tubes that cling together to make the bigger form.
Here are some good and rude trees to practice hierarchy on.

2 CONTRASTING URGES MAKE THE TREE'S FORM

Here the sub tubes are wrenched apart. The feeling I get from the form of trees is that they are constructed out of opposing forces. One major force is trying to hold all the sub forms together. For part of the tree that force is strong and binds the tubes tightly. Nearer the top of the tree, the tubes themselves have an irresistible urge to peel apart from each other. They want to escape the domination of the tree, but the power at the center is too massive to pull totally away from.

These tree tumors look fun to draw. They lack shame.
Frazetta's approach to trees and hierarchy is similar to Post's. He doesn't paint every detail. Instead he suggests the major forms and some of the sub forms that crawl along the overall shape of the trees. Also like Post, he uses liberal and pleasing negative spaces to frame the solid objects in the compositions.

Frazetta's details are wrapped around the direction and form of the twisting tortured tubes of tree meat. Smooth buttocks help set off the rugged texture of the trees.
Trees compose around characters.