Anthony Mashman takes us through his method of painting summer trees

Materials

Watercolour

  • Indian Yellow
  • Lemon Yellow
  • Raw Sienna
  • Cobalt Blue
  • Ultramarine
  • Burnt Sienna

Other

  • Soft 4B pencil
  • Putty eraser
  • Watercolour pad or paper
  • Number 8 round brush

It is good to have reference for your painting, a photo will help if you cannot get outside and paint what you see en plein air. I am using  two photos on this occasion.

I used a Langton Watercolour pad with gummed edges by Daler Rowney, for this painting.

Other colours can be used instead of the ones I suggest, but I believe transparent ones are best. I will be using the dry brush technique for the leaves and there are other brushes that will work too, apart from my recommendation, depending on the size of painting. The sunlight will be coming from the top left side of the tree.

Method

Step 1: Lightly sketch the shape of the tree .

Step 2:

Start by mixing the two greens for the foliage. Try and mix enough, before starting to paint.

Mix Indian Yellow, Cobalt Blue and Burnt Sienna to make a light green that is not too watery.

Now use Indian Yellow, Ultramarine and Burnt Sienna to mix a darker, green, again not too runny.

Use a brush, I used a Number 8, to paint the light green foliage using the dry brush technique by running the side of the bristles of the brush on the surface, picking up the texture of the paper. Do not dab the brush but let it run smoothly on the paper surface. Try and apply less paint around the edges of the tree and more in the middle leaving some white parts of the paper showing through.

Step 3: Apply the darker green while the first is damp. Use the same technique but work on the parts of the tree that are in greater shade leaving the lighter green on the left side and near the top.

Step 4: Add some Lemon Yellow to show the lightest parts of the foliage catching the sunlight on the left.

Mix some Raw Sienna and paint the trunk and lower branches . Add some Burnt Sienna to the mix and paint the top of the trunk and right side in shade while damp. Add some Ultramarine to the paint and add the darkest parts in shade. Allow the colours to merge together. Now paint the branches growing up through the tree, showing through the white parts left in the foliage.

Finally use the above mix of paint to add a little shadow under the tree.

Extension Work Ideas

Sky

Before painting the tree, paint a blue sky mixed with Cobalt  Blue. Start painting blue with a wide brush and at the top of the paper and work your way down adding water to make the sky paler. Dab out clouds with a clean paper towel  including the area where the tree is. Allow to dry completely before painting the tree.

Grass

Mix the light green paint, the first mixed as above (2),  and add the grass by using a wide brush to paint it after the sky.

Anthony’s work can be viewed here