Gamechanger Trick to Paint Trees in Watercolour, by Karen Rice Art on YouTube. 17 min 55 s.
- Video length
- 17 min 55 s
- Time to do it
- 45 minutes
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Steps
- 10
What you need
Steps
Tape your paper to a block or board with washi tape so the edges stay clean and the paper does not buckle when wet.
Mix Hansa yellow light and a little raw sienna in a well. Load the size 12 mop brush and paint a soft, uneven wash for the sky and distant ground.
While the wash is damp, drop in cerulean and ultramarine at the top for depth. Let the paper dry until it is only slightly damp.
Mix quin gold, Aussie red gold and a touch of burnt sienna for autumn foliage. Dip the damp sponge into the mix and dab it onto the paper to build tree crowns.
Vary the pressure and turn the sponge as you dab so the foliage edges look broken and natural, not like solid blobs.
Load the size 6 round brush with paynes grey and burnt sienna. Paint trunks and branches with quick, tapering strokes, keeping them thinner at the top.
Add sap green and ultramarine to the shadow side of the foliage and under the trees to ground them in the scene.
Load the size 2 liner brush with warm red and gold. Flick small splatters of paint over the tree areas to suggest loose falling leaves.
Let everything dry fully, then check the values. Deepen the darkest branches and shadow areas with paynes grey where the painting looks flat.
Remove the washi tape by pulling it away at a low angle so the paper edge does not tear.
Tips and common mistakes
Keep the paper only slightly damp when sponging, or the foliage will bleed into a muddy patch.
Test splatter on scrap paper first so you control the size and spread of the drops.
Clean the sponge between colours, or the greens will dull the warm autumn tones.
Work from light to dark and let each layer dry before adding the next.
Questions
Can I use a kitchen sponge instead of an art sponge?
Yes, a natural sea sponge or a fine-textured kitchen sponge works. Cut it to a manageable size and squeeze out most of the water before dipping it in paint.
What if I do not have Daniel Smith paints?
Any artist-grade or student watercolours in similar hues will do. Use a yellow, a warm orange-brown, an ultramarine, a green and a dark grey as your basic set.
How do I stop the trees looking like blobs?
Dab with a light touch and turn the sponge as you go. Leave gaps in the foliage and add thin branches over the top to break up the 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.
