Big Mistake I see beginners make when painting trees, by Ellen Crimi-Trent- Artist on YouTube. 14 min 29 s.
- Video length
- 14 min 29 s
- Time to do it
- 30 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 8
What you need
Steps
Tape or lay your 9x12 inch cotton paper flat on the table. Keep it dry for now so you can control the first washes.
Mix a green from Prussian blue and cadmium yellow deep. Test the color on scrap paper and adjust until it looks like leaf green, not grass green.
Load the size 14 round brush with clean water and paint a light trunk shape in burnt sienna. Keep the edges soft and slightly uneven.
While the trunk is still damp, touch in a little burnt umber near one side. Let the two colors blend on the paper instead of mixing them fully on the palette.
Paint the foliage as a few loose clusters, not one solid blob. Leave small gaps of white paper between clusters so light shows through.
Vary the green as you go. Add a touch of ultramarine or Payne's gray to some clusters and more yellow to others for depth.
Let the first layer dry completely, then add a second darker layer on the shadow side of the tree. Use the size 8 brush for smaller branches and details.
Finish with a few thin branch lines in burnt umber and a light wash of shadow under the tree. Let the painting dry flat before removing any tape.
Tips and common mistakes
Do not paint every leaf. Suggest the tree with a few clusters and let the viewer's eye fill in the rest.
Keep your greens mixed from two or three paints rather than one tube green, so the foliage looks natural.
Wait for each layer to dry before adding darker paint, or the colors will turn muddy.
Test colors on scrap paper first, since watercolor looks lighter when dry than when wet.
Questions
What is the biggest mistake beginners make with watercolor trees?
Painting the foliage as one flat, solid shape. Break it into loose clusters with gaps so the tree looks light and natural.
Do I need cotton paper for this?
Cotton paper handles water better and keeps colors bright, but you can practice on any watercolor paper. Cotton cold press gives the smoothest results.
How do I stop the trunk and leaves from blending into mud?
Let the trunk dry before painting the foliage over it, and avoid scrubbing the brush on damp paper.
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.
