Game changing tricks to paint trees in Watercolour #Watercolour, by Karen Rice Art on YouTube. 2 min 56 s.
- Video length
- 2 min 56 s
- Time to do it
- 20 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 8
What you need
Steps
Tape your watercolour paper to a board or table so it stays flat and does not buckle when wet.
Mix a dark brown or grey-brown wash on your palette for the trunk. Keep it fairly strong.
Load a small round brush and paint the trunk as a slightly curved, tapering line. Add one or two thin branches near the top.
While the trunk is still damp, mix warm yellow and orange and load a medium round brush with plenty of water.
Dab and press the brush around the top of the branches to build a loose canopy. Let the colours touch and blend on the paper.
Add a few dabs of red or deeper orange on the shaded side of the tree to give it depth.
Drop in clean water or a light wash at the edges of the canopy so the foliage fades softly instead of ending in a hard line.
Let the tree dry fully, then add a few small dark twigs and a light shadow under the tree if you want.
Tips and common mistakes
Keep the trunk and canopy work close together so the damp paint blends naturally.
Do not overwork the foliage; a few confident dabs look more like leaves than many small strokes.
Test your colour mix on scrap paper first so you know how strong it will dry.
Use less water on the trunk than on the leaves so the tree keeps its shape.
Questions
What colours should I use for autumn trees?
Warm yellows, oranges and reds work best, with a brown or grey-brown for the trunk. Mix them loosely so the colours blend on the paper.
Do I need special watercolour paper?
Cold press watercolour paper around 300gsm holds the water well and stops the paper buckling. Thin paper will wrinkle and the washes will not blend as nicely.
How do I stop the leaves looking like blobs?
Vary the size and pressure of your dabs and leave some gaps in the canopy. Adding a few darker dabs on one side gives the tree shape.
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.
