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Painting trees
In the previous lesson, I showed you how to paint leaves and
tree-trunks. This lesson is about painting trees. Trees are the most
important objects in landscape painting. It is very seldom we see a
landscape painting without trees or bushes. It is therefore, very
important for any painter to gain much experience as possible in drawing
and painting trees.
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Figure 1 shows trees painted with at colours with shades
light and dark. |
At first take a lot of time to study trees before the first sketch is
drawn by pencil. Study the texture of the trunk (the areas where the
main branches separate from the trunk). The shape of the tree as a
whole, the leaves spread wide, round and narrow, long and thick.
Remember if you are not experienced begin with a few colours. Observe
the trees painted on Figure 1. I have used three colours only. First
wash with a light, Lemon green and the shading should be done with dark
Hookers green and brown for the trunk.
The main study is now to obtain a detail effects of the bark,
branches and foliage (leaves).
First give yourself a thought about the shape of the tree, is it
round, tall or spread out. What colour does the leaves look like.
Notice how dark shadows help to give the trees depth and form. The
single tree on the left shows a pale light colour (Lemon green) used and
shaded to show deep shadows, and fine pen strokes used to suggest the
grain of the trunk and twigs.
The three trees in the distance shows a dark colour to give a deep
shadow effect. For a good tree to be drawn and coloured, you must know
how to produce a natural realistic look of the trunk and twigs.Mostly
the surface of the trunk is shown by curved lines which run around the
trunk. The branches are dark in tone and this is shown by shading. The
trunk of a tree is made up of large over-lapping scales. I have shown
them with a pen in fine lines.
A point to remember, when painting trees is to colour one side in
dark shadow than the opposite side without details.This helps to create
depth and shape. The material I used to draw trees - colours: Hookers
green, Lemon green and medium Yellow with Burnt Sienna for the trunk.
A thin pointed pen is used to pat the details on the trunk. The paper
used is light weight 250 grams drawing paper with a slight grain and
brushes used Nos 2, 6, 8, water colour brush with a point at the end. |
