Paint Like a Pro with These Tree Tricks - Autumn Trees, by Karen Rice Art on YouTube. 11 min 24 s.
- Video length
- 11 min 24 s
- Time to do it
- 45 minutes
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Steps
- 9
What you need
Steps
Tape your paper to a board or use a watercolour block so the sheet stays flat. Keep the surface at a slight angle so washes run evenly.
Mix a pale sky wash of Ultramarine and a touch of Alizarin Crimson. Wet the top area of the paper and lay the wash down, leaving the tree area dry.
Paint the distant tree shapes with weak Quin Gold and Yellow Ochre. Keep the edges soft by touching them with clean water before they dry.
Build the main tree trunk and branches with Burnt Sienna and a size 8 round brush. Vary the pressure to get thin twigs and thicker limbs.
Drop in autumn foliage with Cad Yellow Pale, Quin Gold and Mayan Orange while the paper is still damp. Let the colours bleed into each other.
Add darker leaves and shadow areas with Alizarin Crimson and a little Prussian Blue. Keep some gaps so the light shows through the canopy.
Sprinkle a pinch of salt onto the damp foliage and leave it to dry fully. Brush the salt off once the paper is completely dry.
Paint the ground with Yellow Ochre and Burnt Sienna, then add cool shadows with Paynes Grey. Use the 1 inch flat brush for broad strokes.
Finish with white gouache highlights on trunks and leaf edges. Add fine branch lines with a size 4 round brush.
Tips and common mistakes
Let each layer dry before adding dark colours, or the paint turns muddy.
Test salt on a scrap piece first, since it works only on damp, not wet, paint.
Keep your brightest yellows and oranges in the light areas and save dark blues for shadows.
Use masking fluid on thin branches before the sky wash if you want crisp edges.
Questions
Do I need the exact paint brands?
No. Any artist grade watercolour in similar hues works. Match warm yellows, a warm orange, Burnt Sienna, Ultramarine and a dark grey.
Can I paint this on a single sheet instead of a block?
Yes. Tape the sheet to a board and wet it slightly so it dries flat. A block just saves you the taping step.
What if I do not have salt?
You can skip it. The painting still works without the speckled texture, or you can lift small dots with a damp tissue.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
