There are several options for making tree murals.
Images of trees anchor your decor with a breezy outdoors feeling. There is no one right way to paint a tree mural because hundreds of decorating styles and species of trees exist. The instructions here will guide you in creating the basic structure and shape of a tree mural with a freehand or projected design. For other methods, check the references and resource links.
Instructions
1. Individualized color schemes can match your decor.
Obtain color sample chips from your local hardware store. View the samples next to your furniture and walls. Painted trees do not have to follow a natural color scheme. For decor with warm colors, you may use a range of golds and yellows or fall trees with leaves changing to reds and oranges. Cooler color schemes lend themselves to silhouette murals in blues or purples. If you want a natural look for your tree mural, consider how different greens and browns work together and with your furniture. Purchase colors in artist quality acrylics for the best quality paint. These are available at arts and crafts stores or online and may have different names than your sample chips.
2. Many species of trees can complement your decor.
Think about what style of tree will best complement your decor. Trees can have stalky trunks and full foliage. They might have willowy branches with leaves streaming down like tears. Perhaps your ideal tree has no leaves at all, or cherry blossoms instead of greenery. Like people, every tree is unique. Keep that in mind to avoid creating a generic mural with a cartoon quality. Look at as many pictures of trees as you can, and make practice sketches of the ones you like best.
3. Lay out the mural with light pencil lines. Use your pictures and sketches for reference. Step back from your work frequently to make sure you are drawing the mural the size and shape that you want. Some people prefer to work with an overhead projector when laying out a mural. To do this, trace your tree on a piece of acetate with a marker. Lay the sheet on the projector. The closer the projector is to the wall, the smaller the image will appear. When you have the tree projected where you want it, trace the lines lightly with a pencil.
4. Protect floors and furniture with a drop cloth. Paint the trunk and branches first. Start in a discrete area to get used to the flow of the paint. If you are doing a silhouette mural, the entire tree should be one color like a shadow. Paint with smooth strokes making sure to fill in any texture on the wall with your tree color. If you are not creating a silhouette mural, make sure to keep two to three colors on the paint brush at all times. Do not blend them too smoothly, and keep your brush stroke moving in the direction of the trunk or branch. This will create texture that mimics the bark of the tree. Step back from your work frequently to get perspective.
5. Clean out the paint brush and add the leaves. For silhouette murals, the leaves should be the same color as the trunk. For more dimensional murals, leaves may vary from the trunk color but should harmonize well with it. Keep at least two colors on the brush at all times. You may choose to paint the leaves individually for sparse foliage. For fuller foliage, use brush strokes to create a general texture where leaves would be instead of trying to paint each leaf. Short strokes work best for this.
