How to Paint Trees in Watercolour: A Simple Forest Tutorial
- Jun 8, 2023
- 3 min read
One of the things I love most about painting woodland is the way light dances through the trees.
Rather than trying to paint every leaf and branch, I prefer to suggest the feeling of being in a forest using loose washes, texture and expressive mark-making.
In this tutorial I'll show you how to combine wax resist, cling film, lifting off and sponging to create a vibrant woodland full of atmosphere.
Even if you're fairly new to watercolour, these techniques are surprisingly simple and great fun to experiment with.
Materials
You'll need:
300 gsm cold-pressed watercolour paper
Round size 12 brush
Rigger brush
White candle (for wax resist)
Toothbrush
Cling film
Kitchen sponge
Colours
Cadmium Yellow Light
Viridian
Indigo
Dioxazine Purple
Step 1 — Sketch the Trees
Keep your drawing extremely simple.
Lightly mark where the main tree trunks will sit without adding lots of detail.
The painting will come alive through the watercolour rather than the pencil drawing.
Step 2 — Add Wax Resist
Rub a white candle firmly over the tree trunks and any areas where you'd like bright shafts of light.
As you paint, the wax will repel the watercolour, allowing the white paper to sparkle through.
Step 3 — Paint the Background
Wet the paper thoroughly.
Float in a soft wash of Cadmium Yellow Light before adding gentle hints of Viridian Green and Indigo for distant tree trunks.
Already the woodland begins to emerge.
Step 4 — Create the Forest Floor
Mix Indigo, Viridian and just a touch of Dioxazine Purple to build the darker foreground.
Don't worry about neatness.
At this stage you're simply establishing light and dark shapes.
Step 5 — Add Texture with Cling Film
While the paint is still wet, gently scrunch cling film over the darker areas.
Leave it until the paper is completely dry before removing it.
The paint will have settled into beautiful organic patterns that suggest bark, undergrowth and woodland texture.
Step 6 — Build the Foliage
Using a slightly damp washing-up sponge, dab mixtures of Yellow, Viridian and Indigo into the canopy.
Changing the pressure and colour creates wonderfully varied foliage without painting every leaf individually. Finish with some spatter with your toothbrush into the foliage to create some added texture.
Step 7 — Let the Light In
One of my favourite finishing touches is lifting out light.
Using a clean, slightly damp brush, gently sweep diagonally across the painting.
These lifted marks instantly suggest sunlight filtering through the trees.
It's a wonderfully atmospheric effect.
Don't Worry About Perfection
One of the biggest mistakes people make when painting woodland is trying to control every mark.
Ironically, forests often look more convincing when we allow watercolour to do some of the work for us.
The wax, cling film, sponge and lifting techniques all create natural textures that would be almost impossible to paint by hand.
Trees FAQ
How do you paint realistic trees in watercolour?
Rather than painting every leaf, use loose washes, varied greens and expressive marks to suggest foliage and light.
How do you create light in a watercolour forest?
Leaving white paper, using wax resist and lifting colour with a damp brush all help create shafts of light through the trees.
Can you use cling film in watercolour?
Yes. Placing scrunched cling film onto wet paint creates natural textures that work beautifully for bark, woodland floors and foliage.
What colours are best for painting trees in watercolour?
For this project I use Cadmium Yellow Light, Viridian, Indigo and Dioxazine Purple, but many green and earth palettes will work.
Paint With Me
If you'd like to explore expressive watercolour techniques like these in person, I run friendly watercolour workshops for beginners and improvers in North Yorkshire throughout the year.
You can find all upcoming workshops here.
New to watercolour?
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