This post is about ‘How to Paint Trees with Watercolor,’ featuring three helpful videos by different artists. Each video offers tips and tricks for painting trees, from basic techniques and material use to creative methods like sponge work and detailed texture creation. Together, they give anyone looking to improve their watercolor skills a great set of resources to learn from.
How to paint trees in Watercolor by Paul Clark
Paul Clark teaches how to paint trees with watercolor, making it simple for anyone to follow. He starts by explaining the value of keeping a sketchbook full of trees to understand their shapes and details better. Paul picks specific types of paper that help make the painting look more realistic. He uses just two brushes: a bigger one for the trunk and a thinner one for the branches. He mixes only three colors—yellow, blue, and red—to create every color he needs for his trees.
In his tutorial, Paul shows an excellent technique using the back of his brush to draw out the tree trunk and branches on the wet paint, which adds a natural look to the tree. He then demonstrates the dry brush method to suggest leaves and twigs, making the tree come to life. Paul splatters paint across the paper, a fun step that adds texture and brings a dynamic feel to the artwork. Through these steps, Paul Clark makes learning how to paint trees with watercolor engaging and achievable for budding artists.
Visit the Artist’s Youtube Channel Here
Painting trees and foliage : a loose watercolour demonstration with sponge work
In this tutorial, Wendy Powell-Jones teaches how to paint trees and foliage using a loose watercolor technique complemented by sponge work. From a couple of her photographs, Wendy creates a charming scene of trees at the edge of a field, beautifully backlit by the sun.
She prefers Saunders Waterford paper, a 140-pound weight, which doesn’t require stretching due to its block format. Wendy showcases the final painting early in the video, particularly highlighting her newfound appreciation for sponge work. Unlike her step-by-step watercolor tutorials, this video is more of an experimental showcase to demonstrate the freedom and creativity possible with watercolors.
Wendy’s approach to watercolor painting is exploratory, with no rigid plan for the painting’s final appearance. Her main goal is to capture the sunlight piercing through the center, adding warmth and texture to the foliage. She focuses on adding warmth to the painting to ensure the spring greens don’t look too cold. A hint of blue in the foreground suggests the presence of bluebells, but Wendy encourages viewers to adapt the color to fit their vision, whether it be white anemones or pink campion. With paler background colors, Wendy uses sap green for its versatility. She mixes other greens with cadmium yellow pale, cobalt blue, or ultramarine, demonstrating her skillful color mixing and application techniques.
Visit the Artist’s Youtube Channel Here
How to Paint Watercolor Trees
In his tutorial, “How to Paint Watercolour Trees,” Paul Apps offers a detailed walkthrough on creating lifelike trees using watercolors for beginners. He introduces viewers to the essentials of choosing suitable materials, including brushes and watercolor paints, and explains how to use them to achieve desired effects. Paul carefully demonstrates the process of building a tree, starting with the initial washes that lay down the base tones and colors. He then progresses to adding layers, which help develop the depth and texture characteristic of tree foliage and bark.
Paul shares valuable tips on color mixing, using a limited palette and encourages viewers to practice creating a wide range of greens and browns needed for tree painting. He emphasizes watercolor techniques such as wet-on-wet and dry brush strokes to mimic the natural appearance of trees. Through his step-by-step guidance, Paul simplifies the painting process with watercolors. He encourages viewers to experiment and learn through practice, ultimately enhancing their ability to paint watercolor trees with confidence and creativity.
