A Tutorial for Painting Evergreen Trees

Painting landscapes can be relaxing and rewarding.

Painting trees can be a pleasure for novice artists. With the right tools and techniques, trees such as evergreens are easy to create on canvas, even for painters with little experience.

References

Before you even begin painting, take photos of real life evergreens to use as reference points. Don't try to copy one tree exactly, but observe the way each branch projects outward. If you're feeling ambitious, take your easel outside and paint from life.

Brushes

The best brush to use for painting evergreens is a fan brush for capturing the fanlike pattern of the needles. You may also want a large 1"- or 2"-brush, large and small filbert brushes, and a mop brush. When you paint each tree, work from side to side, forcing the bristles downward, to create the characteristic look of evergreens.

Colors

Evergreen trees aren't just made with green and brown. You'll need to blend colors and create dramatic highlights and shadows to make the trees look real. A mixture of black, dark brown, dark green, and dark blue should work well for the base color of an evergreen tree, and dark brown with a little white for the trunk. Mix yellows, sap green and bright red to form highlights, which will really make each tree pop. Use a palette knife to scrape off paint for the brightest highlights.

References

• "The Joy of Painting, Volume X"; Bob Ross; 1987