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Author: Marvin_Chew, Contributing Editor
| 1. INTRODUCTION
This article is written specifically to show you how trees and foliage can be painted in watercolour, my way. Like all living things, trees come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. However, trying to capture trees and foliage on paper may be a daunting task for some. I hope this simple, easy-to-follow article will make painting them easier, once you understand the basic concepts involved in the process. As I come from Malaysia and currently live in Singapore, both tropical in climate, my reference photos and paintings of trees are, therefore, based on types of trees I see everyday. Their looks and shapes may differ from trees found in cooler climates, but the essentials of painting them are more or less the same. |
| 2. OBSERVING TREES
Spend a sunny afternoon strolling around the nearest park or any area with tall growing trees, preferably with a camera in hand to snap some pictures that you can refer to when you're back in the studio. Look at how the branches connect to the trunk and how they spread out into tiny little branches. Observe how the leaves are formed at the ends of the branches. More importantly, study the lights and darks that are formed within the foliage. Observe where sunlight is coming from and how light is reflected on the various layers of foliage and where shadows are cast. |
 | Look at the reference photo at the left. Notice where the sunlight is coming from and where the shadows are. Remember, the sun is always on top of everything else, whether it's in the morning or afternoon. The only difference is the angle from which the light is coming.
You can see that the foliage on top of these trees is brighter as it is directly exposed to the sun, while those leaves at the bottom or nearer to the trunk are cast in shadow. As in all trees, there are branches all over the place, which results in a variety of lights and shadows within the foliage. Therefore, when we paint them, we need to vary our colours and tonal values. |
| The amount of distance between you and the trees or foliage makes a big difference. This is a simple fact, but many people make the mistake of painting foliage using the same texture regardless of the distance being depicted. Look at trees that are close to where you're standing, as well as at trees that are farther away. Remember, you can see details like leaves, tiny branches and even a bird nest or two if you're standing close enough. Distant trees and foliage though are blurred images of different shades of green. Of course, the same visual rule applies to everything around us.
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| Look at the foliage at the backdrop below. You cannot possibly see the leaves and branches at this distance. They are just different shades of greens and darks. |
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