Learn how to paint effective trees using just five colours with Charles Evans.
Discover how to paint trees with and without foliage using essential watercolour techniques and build your confidence in brush handling.
- How to paint a Scots pine
- How to paint winter trees
- How to paint distant trees
- How to paint a large tree in full leaf
- How to paint a clump of trees
How to paint a Scots pine in four easy stages
Stage one
Begin the outline of the tree using the Rigger and yellow ochre.
Mix black using ultramarine blue and burnt sienna and decide where the light is coming into the picture.
Paint this black up the dark side while the yellow is still wet so the colours merge a little.
Stage two
Change to a ¾in. flat brush and dab on a few touches of yellow ochre.
Stage three
Follow this with a mix of Hooker’s green and burnt sienna, pushing the brush in so it spreads a little.
Stage four
Add a little ultramarine blue for a few darker areas of foliage then add grass at the base of the tree and there you have it – a Scots pine.
How to paint a winter tree
Top tip
When painting winter trees, don’t try painting millions of twigs, but just give the impression of them. It’s always good, within a snow scene, to exaggerate the darkness of the trees.
Stage one
Mix black using ultramarine blue and burnt sienna, and with a Rigger paint the outline of the tree with a few twigs.
Lay the full length of the Rigger brush along the trunk and flick outwards.
Stage two
Out of this rough texture on the trunk, pull out a few twigs.
Stage three
Tap on to the top of the tree a slightly more watery mix of the black using the flat brush.
Stage four
Add snow with a wash of fairly watery ultramarine blue and a few black posts.
How to paint distant trees in the landscape
Top tip
It’s amazing how effective a few distant trees can be in a landscape painting but don’t be afraid of a slight bleeding of the colours.
Stage one
Paint the sky by pre-wetting the entire sky area with the ¾in. flat brush using ultramarine blue. Wash out the brush thoroughly and simply suck out a few clouds.
Stage two
Whilst the sky is still wet, use a No. 8 Round brush and dab on a few touches of fairly watery yellow ochre and, as you can see, the colours will start to run in to each other.
Stage three
Don’t wait for anything to dry, but follow the yellow ochre with a mixture of Hooker’s green and yellow ochre and drop this in so that it merges with the yellow ochre. Follow this up with ultramarine blue so it gives a little more depth to the trees and just let all the colours merge.
Stage four
Change to ¾in. flat brush and make a quick swathe of yellow ochre underneath and you have your field painted.
Stage five
You could always improve on this by making it into a stubble field. Wash out and sharpen the edge of your ¾in. flat brush and suck out a few strips of paint as illustrated.
How to paint a large tree in full leaf
Stage one
First of all, paint the outline of the tree in yellow ochre using the point of a No. 8 Round brush.
Stage two
Decide where the light is coming from and paint raw umber up the opposite side, letting the colours run into each other.
Stage three
Now using a Rigger and a black mix of ultramarine blue and burnt sienna, paint up the dark side and, as in the winter tree, create rough texture going up the trunk with a few twigs coming out of it.
Stage four
Split the ¾ in. flat brush and stipple a few areas of yellow ochre.
Stage five
Stipple again using a mixture of Hooker’s green and burnt sienna, leaving areas of yellow ochre showing through here and there.
Stage six
Again stipple a little ultramarine blue, and add little areas of flicked grass underneath and there you have it - a big tree!
How to paint a clump of trees
Stage one
As with the distant trees above, paint a simple landscape and while it’s still wet, use the side of the ¾in. flat brush and tap on a few touches of yellow ochre, followed by Hooker’s green and burnt sienna mixed then touches of ultramarine blue.
Stage two
While you have all the mixes on your brush, use the sharp edge of the brush or a fingernail to drag down tree trunks between the two clumps of greenery.
Stage three
With the back of your fingernail scratch upwards to show a little bit of light.
Stage four
There we are, a clump of trees done with the minimum of effort. This could be a small clump as here or a whole spinney of trees in the middle distance, but it’s all just as easy.
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About Charles Evans
Charles writes regularly for Leisure Painter and a number of his books can be purchased in our online store by clicking here.
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Find out more about Charles’ holidays and courses, books and events by visiting www.charlesevansart.co.uk
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