How To Paint A Tree

Learning how to paint a tree can be a process. It will likely take you several attempts to get it down well, and your learning also depends on the type of paint that you are using. Generally, trees have the same structure, and there are some simple steps to help you get it down on paper or canvas. 

How to Paint a Tree: Materials

• Paint (and water, if necessary)
• Canvas or paper
• Pencil (if using paper)
• Brushes

How to Paint a Tree:

1. Get everything that you will need. If using watercolors or acrylics, you may very lightly outline the tree before beginning. With oil paints, however, you will need to use a canvas, and this cannot be done.
2. First, outline the tree, if applicable. Start with the trunk, and lightly sketch upward. The branches which have leaves should be wavy and random, and not represented by a large, green blob of color.
3. Paint (this will be the first step if using oils). Start by using brown, with upward brush strokes, to make the trunk. Using different tones that overlap in their vertical strokes will give the effect of bark, and will make the tree look more natural.
4. Then, do the branches and leaves. Make some streak-like brown lines that come off of the trunk as it narrows, the colors of which may be altered from one limb to the next, slightly.
5. Paint the leaves in the spaces between the branches, and overtop some of them. Use similar but different shades of green to make blotches of color, most of them on or just beside the limbs. Do not make your tree too bushy and round by filling in the spaces between branches with too much color. If you want, consider using shades of yellow, orange, red, and brown, for pretty autumn leaves. Once you have done this step, you have painted a beautiful tree!

Learning how to paint a tree requires you to have some artistic ability. With the right supplies, you can paint what turns out to be an essential part of any landscape or scenic painting.