Paint Trees with Depth and Realism
Dec 30, 2024If you're interested in landscape painting, you'll need to know how to integrate and fully render trees and foliage. So today, I am going to demonstrate the process I used to paint the tree featured in this painting.
Integrating Trees in Your Watercolor Scene
Focusing in on one subject - like a tree - can, of course, help you feel more comfortable painting that particular subject. But lessons like these, where we zoom in on features of a scene also contain lessons on the whole.
Some of the same rules apply. For example, to achieve a realistic look, you have to include a full-range of values. This is true of your entire scene, and just as true of the individual features of your painting.
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Supplies You Need to Paint This Scene
Today I'm painting on Saunders Waterford Cold Press 140lb paper, and I have my surface tilted to 35 degrees. I use a variety of brands of brushes, but mainly stick to a large mop, medium round, and smaller synthetic brush with a point.
I use Daniel Smith watercolors. Here are the list of pigments on my palette:
- Burnt Sienna
- Cadmium Red
- Cadmium Yellow Medium
- Cerulean Blue
- Cobalt Blue
- Cobalt Teal Blue
- Cobalt Turquoise
- Lavender
- Neutral Tint
- Payne's Gray
- Quinacridone Gold
- Raw Sienna
- Raw Sienna Light
- Raw Umber
- Rose Madder Permanent
- Ultramarine Blue
My 3-Step Painting Process
First Wash - Lightest Values
Second Wash - Middle Connected Values
Third Wash - Darks and Details
Related Blogs
Painting a Tree with Watercolor: Tips and Tricks
Creating Depth and Realism: Essential Strategies for Watercolor Landscape Artists