Winter Tree, pastel, (35.5x25.5cm)

Leafless trees can be full of colour. Follow Jenny Keal's demonstration to help you to paint winter trees.

Pastel colours:

• Grey 28
• Red earth 7
• Brown earth 8
• Additional 7
• Grey 10
• Grey 11
• Grey 9
• Additional 21
• Yellow 15
• Additional 30
• Additional 28
• Yellow green earth 18

Pastel pencil colours:

• White
• Blue grey

Demonstration: Winter Tree

Step 1

1. On a sheet of Fisher400 paper draw an outline of the main features using a charcoal pencil.

2. Paint the sky with grey 10, 11 and 28, additional 7, brown earth 8 and red earth 7. Blend the colours together with your fingertips to achieve a softly gradated sky.

Step 2

1. With a combination of grey 9 and 10, loosely render the background trees to convey a sense of distance. Stroke in with the side of additional 7 pastel stick here and there to indicate the warmer canopy of winter twigs.

2. Suggest a number of the tree trunks with mid grey pastel pencils.

Step 3

1. Paint the snow with grey 28 (white) and add a few shadows on the snow with grey 10. Hint at more snow among the distant trees.

2. Paint the sheep with additional 21 and red earth 7. Draw the detail of the heads and legs with a charcoal pencil.

3. Suggest the loose hay lying on the snow with yellow 15.

Step 4

1. Draw the main trunk of the tree with additional 30.
2. Shape the outline of the canopy with additional 28 to indicate the tiny tracery of twigs and burgeoning buds.
3. Draw the thinner branches with a sharp charcoal pencil.
4. Suggest the ivy on the main trunk with more additional 8 and a few dots of yellow green earth 18.
5. To convey the branches coming towards the viewer, use a white pastel pencil.

Step 5

Winter Tree, pastel, (35.5x25.5cm)

To finish the painting, paint the hedgerow, including the fence and gate posts, with downward strokes of the long side of the pastel sticks using mainly the same colours as you have used for the tree, with the addition of yellow 15 to hint at dead grass.

Suggest a path with additional 21 and more grey 9 for shadows on the snow.

This demonstration is taken from the February 2008 issue of Leisure Painter

Watch Jenny painting landscapes in pastel in the video clip below