Leisure Painter — June 2017

Watercolour

I

could probably tell you how to plant

it, but I’m afraid there is no magic

formula for painting a tree. It is not

the end of the world, however, if an oak

turns out to look like an ash, because it

is the overall impression of solidity and

character that you are after. So face

your demons and draw a single tree,

preferably without leaves. If you set out

to commune with nature, the likelihood is

that you will capture the atmosphere on

paper and enjoy yourself in the process.

Trees without leaves

Tree life takes on a new meaning when

you begin to explore the negative spaces

between the branches and much of your

picture composition can depend on this

technique. It is also worth bearing in

mind that a tree doesn’t just stick straight

up out of the grass like a fence post; most

roots can be seen emerging from the

ground at some point. For this reason,

I find it easier to start drawing from the

ground and work upwards, as if you were

the actual tree itself. Try not to draw one

side of the trunk then follow suit with

the other – it makes for a better shape if

you develop both sides simultaneously.

Remember, you can keep developing

that shape in paint, long after you

have finished with the pencil. Most

of the mistakes I see are always in the

preparatory sketch or in the lack of one.

Look for tone

It is the tone of the tree that really

counts; colour is almost immaterial. So

if you can break the shape down into

tonal areas before applying paint then

the end result will be much more

substantial. It is very important to allow

light to shine through and resonate,

either from the white of the paper or

a light underwash. This keeps the trees

looking vibrant so don’t make them

too dense and leave room for the birds!

In watercolour it is perfectly possible

to keep the leaf canopy quite washy

so long as you have the skeleton

underneath. That’s not to say that you

don’t want to make strong statements

from time to time, but don’t make them

too early on. You can also use a wax

or masking fluid ‘resist’ if you want

to achieve a more layered look.

Add colour

Three pigments will be plenty and try

to mix your own greens – this is good

practice and a better way to ensure

harmony throughout your palette.

Hooker’s green and green gold are

useful, however, as they are both

translucent. Ensure that your paints are

mixed up and ready to go, and work as

quickly as you can from light to dark. If

the tone of the tree happens to be paler

than the rest of the landscape, you can

apply an undercoat of that tone and let it

36 JUNE 2017 http://www.painters-online.co.uk

How to overcome the problems of painting trees in watercolour, with Amanda Cooper

Trees in focus

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

nPractise the art of observation

nMake every brushstroke count

HOW TO BUILD THE SHAPE OF A TREE ACCURATELY

2 How to reduce foliage to

basic shapes and introduce a

third dimension.

t

1 How not to draw a tree – like a

scarecrow with branches sticking out

symmetrically on both sides!

t

3 After finding the basic shape,

try to find straighter edges to give

interest and energy.

t

4 The finished tree sketch

t

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