Trees are a common element in landscape paintings but if you want to make them look realistic it’s important to understand their structure. The first thing to remember is that the trunk of a tree is wider at the base than it is on top. This means that when you are sketching or painting a tree, you need to draw in the darker shadow shapes first before adding the lighter areas. This will ensure that you get the shape of the tree right.
It’s also important to have your palette and paints within arm’s reach while you are sketching or painting a tree. If you have to stop to look for a round 6 brush or some more paper towels, it can throw off your flow and lead to a less than perfect painting.
Mixing greens can be one of the most challenging aspects of painting. It’s easy to grab a bright, vivid green from the tube and then struggle to make it work in your painting. It’s worth doing a colour chart before you start to get a feel for which colours can be used to make different shades of green.
The symbiotic relationship between trees and water is often seen in paintings. This can symbolize life and growth (a tree by the water), innocence or reincarnation (a tree in the sea) and is commonly seen in religious paintings as a representation of God’s creation. However, the tree canvas painting is not limited to these interpretations and can be used for any meaning that the artist wants to convey.