With practice and helpful hints, painting trees becomes effortless.
Trees come in various sizes, shapes and colors. Some have leaves while others have flowers or berries. Many types of trees have needles and cones like the Pine. Trees also tend to change in color and in form with the seasons. Painting trees at first can be quite daunting and tricky but with practice the task becomes easier. Knowledge of the different species of trees and their own unique characteristics is the key to painting trees that look realistic.
Education of Species
An invaluable suggestion for painting trees is to first educate yourself on the many different species of trees. Seek books from the library, perhaps loaning them out so you will have adequate time to make sketches and write notes about the types of trees you are interested in painting. Being able to identify the abundant varieties of tree species and their individual features will greatly enhance your ability to paint trees that appear to be real on your canvas.
Color
The color of the species of tree you wish to paint is an important feature. Depending on the season you are portraying in your painting, the leaves may be green, yellow, orange, red, or even brown. If the tree has bristles, they are usually green with brown cones in various spots. The tree trunk is generally different shades of brown, but if there is plants or moss growing on or around it, you may want to incorporate additional colors such as green or grey. Furthermore, branches on a tree are not always one uniform color. Some bark on branches may be peeling off to reveal a lighter color underneath. Branches are also darker in areas depending on the thickness of the bark. To add more depth to your painting, keep the darker colors in the background and lighter colors in front.
Form
The form or shape of the tree is a critical characteristic to remember especially when painting a specific species of tree. Do you want to portray an umbrella shape like the Poinciana tree or more like a sphere, or even multiple spheres like the Olive tree. Perhaps you like cone shaped trees like the Pine. Many trees are also irregular in shape, have broken branches, and some are even crooked because of overgrowth or they are a lone tree that faces gusting winds.
Size
Tree size varies depending on the age of the tree or the species. Some trees are big with big leaves like the Maple while others have flowers like the Black Cherry tree. If you are painting a cluster of trees together be sure to vary the sizes, shapes, and spacing between each tree. It is also important to convey whether you want the tree to be the main feature in the painting or in the background. Distance will change the size of the tree, the further away the tree is the smaller it is painted. Different types of paint alters the appearance of the painting. Oil and acrylic builds texture and depth and water colors produce distance and a calming effect.
