Does drawing on permissible images, such as trees and apples, to add features like eyes and a mouth, make them unlawful? And what should I do if I am compelled to use this method in my work?

There is no harm in adding facial features such as eyes, mouth, and nose to a tree image, because it falls under the category of placing a head image on something other than an animal, and this does not fall under prohibited images. The same applies to placing a face image on machines such as cars, trains, and similar things that do not possess a soul. Ibn Qudamah said: "Likewise, if the initial depiction is of a body without a head, or a head without a body, or if it is given a head but the rest of its body is in the form of something other than an animal, it does not fall under the prohibition; because that is not the image of an animal."