Easy Watercolor Trees for Beginners: Loose Painting Techniques That Work
What You’ll Learn:
- How to simplify complex tree shapes
- Using a squirrel mop brush for loose foliage
- Why less control often creates better trees
- Creating texture with watercolor splattering
- Turning “mistakes” into branches and foliage
- Adding shadows to create depth and realism
Adding shadows to create depth and realismTrees can be difficult to paint.
How to simplify complex tree shapes
Using a squirrel mop brush for loose foliage
Why less control often creates better trees
Creating texture with watercolor splattering
Turning “mistakes” into branches and foliage
Until you stop thinking about them.
Seriously.
One of the biggest problems I see in beginning watercolor students is that they overthink trees. They look at a photograph and immediately start trying to paint every branch, every leaf, every little detail.
That’s a recipe for frustration.
Nature is complicated.
Sure, symmetry exists in nature. Nautilus shells are a great example. Snowflakes are surprisingly symmetrical too.
Trees?
Trees are chaos.
Branches shoot off in strange directions. Limbs break. Some parts grow toward the sun while others die off entirely. No two trees look exactly alike.
Which is actually good news for painters.
You don’t have to paint every detail because nobody knows exactly what the tree is supposed to look like anyway.
The secret is learning to simplify.
Instead of focusing on individual branches and leaves, focus on the large shapes first. Squint your eyes and look at the tree as a collection of masses. Where is the canopy? Where are the shadows? Where are the gaps that allow light to pass through?
Those big shapes matter far more than individual leaves.
I am not a photorealistic painter.
Personally, I am much more interested in the impression of detail than the detail itself. That’s one of the things I love most about watercolor. A few brushstrokes can suggest an entire forest.
How to Paint Loose Watercolor Trees
When painting trees, I prefer to work loosely.
A large squirrel mop brush is one of my favorite tools for this. Load the brush with plenty of paint and water and start creating big, irregular shapes.
In fact, here’s a little trick:
Want your trees to look more natural?
Hold the very end of the brush handle instead of gripping it near the ferrule.
You’ll immediately lose some control.
Which is exactly what we want.
Most watercolor painters spend years trying to gain control. Sometimes the fastest way to create a believable tree is to intentionally give a little of that control back to the watercolor.
Let the brush dance around the paper.
Let the paint surprise you.
Once the initial shapes are established, I often spatter additional colors into both wet and dry areas of the painting. The splatters create wonderful organic textures that resemble leaves, branches, and foliage.
And here’s the best part.
If a splatter lands somewhere you don’t like…
Congratulations.
You just discovered where the next branch is going.
Grab a rigger brush and connect the splatter to the tree.
Problem solved.
One of the reasons I love painting trees is that they’re incredibly forgiving. Many of the “mistakes” students worry about actually make the tree look more natural.
A perfectly controlled tree often looks artificial.
A slightly messy tree looks alive.
Original painting SOLD- Fine Art Prints Available HERE
The final step is adding a cast shadow beneath the tree. Shadows help anchor the tree to the ground and instantly create the illusion of depth and form. Without a shadow, the tree can feel like it’s floating. Add a shadow and suddenly it belongs in the landscape.
That’s really all there is to it.
Start with big shapes.
Avoid painting every leaf.
Allow some chaos into the process.
Use splatters to create texture.
Add a shadow.
And before your first cup of coffee gets cold, you’ve created a tree that looks far more believable than one painted branch-by-branch.
Sometimes less really is more.
See exactly how I created this painting in the complete video tutorial.
Recommended Supplies for this Video:
Arches 11×14 block 20 sheets
Sterling Edwards Big Brush Watercolor Palette
Harmony Squirrel Mop #6 Brush:
Harmony Squirrel Mop #2 Brush:
Daniel Smith Imperial Purple (throw a little red into greens to make them look more realistic)
Winsor Newton Burnt Sienna
Winsor Newton Yellow Ochre
Winsor Newton Winsor Yellow
Winsor Newton Sap Green
Winsor Newton Cobalt Blue
Winsor Newton Ultramarine Blue
How Does This Compare?
Intentional Blossoms Watercolor Whale
If you want to see intentional blossoms used in a landscape rather than flowers, the whale tutorial demonstrates how water movement can create dramatic textures in waves, skin, and underwater effects.
Atmospheric Watercolor Trees
Take the loose tree techniques from this lesson further by using soft edges, layered washes and atmospheric perspective to create depth in a complete forest landscape.
Snowy Landscape Tutorial
Another good beginner exercise in simplification. Instead of painting every branch and detail, you’ll use large shapes, values and preserved white paper to suggest a winter landscape.
Northern Lights Watercolor Tutorial
If you like letting watercolor do some of the work, this tutorial uses wet-into-wet washes and soft transitions to create glowing skies behind simplified landscape shapes.
How to Avoid Muddy Watercolors
Once you’re comfortable creating blossoms, the next challenge is keeping those beautiful colors clean. This lesson explains how to avoid overworking your washes and maintain vibrant, luminous color.
UNC Old Well Watercolor Demonstration
Ready for something more challenging? The Old Well combines many of the same watercolor fundamentals—including wet-into-wet washes, layering, soft edges, and controlled detail—into a complete landscape painting.
Disclaimer: This page contains affiliate links. If you choose to make a purchase after clicking a link, I may receive a commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support!
Ryan Fox AWS, NWS, TWSA
Ryan Fox Painting
(919) 645-8345