How to Paint Evergreens in Watercolor
- 1
Mix new colors.Paint brush and aqua paints image by PaulPaladin from Fotolia.com
Dip your brush in water. Then mix 2 parts dark green pigment and 1 part dark brown pigment in one section of the plastic palette. - 2
Practice your brush strokes.malen mit pinsel und farbe image by J??rg Jahn from Fotolia.com
Rinse your brush and remove excess water with a tissue so that the brush is damp, but not dripping. Dip the brush in the paint mixture. Using an upward motion, with the brush at a 45-degree angle, paint a single line 3 to 4 inches long on the paper. This will be the tree's trunk. - 3
Watch how the pigments blend.Mixed tempera colors image by millis from Fotolia.com
Rinse your brush in water. In a new section of your palette, mix 3 parts dark green, 1 part ultramarine blue and 1 part black. Rinse your brush and blot excess water from it with tissue so that it is damp. - 4
Concentrate on your technique.painting woman image by Falk from Fotolia.com
Using a downward stroke, paint a line of this darker pigment just to the left of your first line so that it overlaps the lighter line to create shading for the tree trunk. Rinse your brush in water. - 5
Mimic nature's verdant shades.highway travel image by Leticia Wilson from Fotolia.com
Mix 3 parts dark green, 1 part yellow ochre and 1 part brown in a new section of the palette. Rinse and blot brush. - 6
Render the shape and movement of branches.pine branches image by yuriyklymenko from Fotolia.com
Using upward, arcing strokes, paint branches on either side of the vertical line (trunk) you have already painted. These branches should look like upturned bows or swan's wings, tilting up at the tips. They should taper, getting shorter as you paint higher up the tree. Add more pigment to the brush as needed. - 7
Paint intricate needles simply.Evergreen image by Lidka from Fotolia.com
Holding the brush at a slant, using the same color mixture, make short, sharp strokes coming out of the branches on the bottom, and some at the top as well. Rinse and blot brush. - 8
Create the illusion of shadow.shadow on beach image by pearlguy from Fotolia.com
Mix together 2 parts ultramarine blue and 1 part brown. Dip the brush in water and blot until damp. Paint this dark blueish color on the undersides of the branches and needles. Add more pigment to brush as necessary. Rinse and blot brush. - 9
Show where the light hits.light image by Erg??n ?--zsoy from Fotolia.com
Mix together 3 parts yellow ochre, 1 part reddish brown and 1 part medium green. Paint this color on the right side of the trunk, avoiding the branches, using downward, vertical strokes. This will create the illusion of natural light hitting the tree. - 10
Admire your finished work.Painting of Tree with Sun in Background image by Sujit Mahapatra from Fotolia.com
Mix more of this same ochre-based color if needed. Apply color to the top sides of needles and to the branches in places only where highlights are needed. Rinse and blot the brush.
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