ESSENTIAL Paint TREES in watercolor. Clear videos show you.

Just a short film to look at a fir tree and notice the shape, shade and structure of it.

I have deliberately kept this simple for two reasons.

One: I don't know what colours you have in your paintbox and I didn't want anyone to feel excluded because they hadn't got the listed colours.

Two: Although I have put this in the intermediate category I don't want beginners to be put of by the thought of colour mixing.

AND it also shows how much you can achieve with a limited palette.

This is a model you can use when it comes to painting deciduous trees (those which lose their leaves in the winter)

I kept it simple using just sap green and raw umber with a touch of paynes grey.

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A photo of the finished painting.

A photo of a deciduous tree

Another deciduous tree but this time a different type and therefore a different shape.

Take a look around where you live and observe the difference.

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A photo of the finished painting

A photo of an elm

This video just gives you some ideas about autumn colours. Use the colours that you have in your area.

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A photo of the finished painting

This little video shows you one way of painting a leafless tree. This can be tricky but if you concentrate on keeping you brush marks relaxed and random you should end up with something believable. This effect looks especially good in a group.

BEWARE of painting a stick with branches evenly placed, all the same width and size.

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A photo of the finished painting

Painting a forest on a hillside.

So you are getting the hang of painting trees individually at different times of the year, but what about in a group such as a forest? You can end up with a great mass of green unless you can create some definition and structure to the forest. In this example it also looks as if there is some mist settled between the rows of trees.

In this demonstration I show you how using just one shade of green. In this case it was sap green and raw umber.

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1. A photo of the finished sample.

These come in various shapes and sizes as all trees do. They are often seen in Mediterranean countries,often dividing areas and specially along beautiful driveways leading to villas. Hmm.

If you have them in your country, just check them out and use this template as a starting point for your own painting. Try them in a group.

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A photo of the finished painting

A photo of anCypress

Another evergreen tree which is very statuesque and is often seen in park lands of grand building.

If you have something similar in the place where you live, have a go and most of all have some fun. And remember every time you copy and paint something, you are learning and improving your painting skills.

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A photo of the finished painting

Photo of a Cedar tree.

There are many types of fir trees, some branches droop down as this one, some slope up and just stick out, so I leave it to you to see what grows in your part of the world.

here I am just showing you a form to follow. Have fun painting lots of different sorts and using different brushes for different effects.

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Photo of the finished painting

Photo of a Fir tree

Well what a great idea ?

In fact just have a think about how you could use some of your other trees for greetings cards? Why not.

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A picture of the fir tree card.

Another evergreen tree. There are so many different varieties to choose from but this selection should give you a good starting point to understand the different ways they grow so that you can paint the ones in you part of the world.

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Photo of the painting 

Photo of a Parasol Pine

I first painted a background so that the pale tree trunks would show up. You don't have to do this but it will make the example look better and it's a good exercise in negative painting (where you paint the spaces and not the objects.)

Look at trees in your area and see where you might be able to use this, then share it with us all.

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A photo of the finished painting

Photo of a Silver Birch

A mass of GREEN.

When you are painting a landscape, if you aren't careful you can end up with just a mass of green in various shades. So here is a bit of extra help and advice.

This video shows you a technique to paint a plant climbing up a wall. If you want it to be a specific type of climber such as a wisteria or ivy, study the leaf shapes and paint the shapes accordingly. Also if the plant is in flower that will also show what it is.

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A photo of the finished painting

Olive trees are abundant in the Mediterranean region as they are suited to a dry and hot climate.

They grow along roadsides or in orchards. They are often kept quite short to make the olives easier to harvest. The leaves are a grey sort of green and are of the type which are darker on one side than on the other. So they lend themselves to the painting technique I demonstrate of using the two colours.

With olive trees I usually mix a colour with some sap green and a bit of Prussian blue and some white to take the edge off it.

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A photo of the finished painting

A photo of an Olive tree

I have painted this in answer to a question from a student.

It is just a simple process to help you get started.

Let the brush do the work when you can

This Yucca is very common in hot climates and can really ad atmosphere to a 'hot' landscape.

Use it as a starting point for moving onto palm trees and other trees of that type. Try different brushes to get the effect you want.

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Finished painting.

Photo of a Yucca

I had to paint some grape vines.

As I live in the largest wine producing area in the world I had to include these. There mat well be vineyards where you live but they are cultivated in a different way, however this will give you a good technique for painting the bark part of the vine.

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A photo of the finished painting

A photo of some vines

Painting LIVE in Paris.

This little video will give you an idea of how to go about painting outdoors. Don't feel inhibited just do it, it's fun. I always thought I didn't like it, so this was a new experience for me and a good one.

All I aimed to do was to paint a representation of the trees in front of me. And that's all you need to think about. you are not taking a photograph you are painting a watercolour sketch, that takes the essence of what you are looking at and that pleases you. Remember that.

It's a great learning to help you become more spontaneous and not to overthink every mark you make. Give it a go.

I apologise for the quality, but I was using my new smartphone which I am still trying to understand.

You can see more of my painting video demonstration on my You Tube channel, Nicola Blakemore

Think of this colour as something you mix with other colours.

Make yourself a chart and get into the habit of doing more mixes rather than diving for the first most appropriate colour.

More creative information and goodies for you.