Watercolour tips - tackling trees

I'm writing this tip in February, and at this time of the year it's the perfect moment to tackle TREES. Trees in winter are one of the most popular painting subjects, but also one that many artists find tricky. The secret is to SIMPLIFY them, and let the eye of the viewer fill in all the detail that you've left out. Let's look at how to go about doing that.

Branches: Here's a photo I took recently at Burnham Norton near the North Norfolk coast. Notice that the trees actually have hundreds of fine branches and twigs - far too many to paint successfully.

Detail: The key to painting a subject like this is to reduce the detail to a manageable amount, and let the eye of the viewer fill in the rest. Just by putting in a few branches and some simple washes an impression will be created of a mass of detail.

A good watercolour painting gives an impression of the scene. Not just how it looks, but how it feels to the artist.

Below are two paintings of this scene, one in colour and one a sepia monochrome. Notice in both paintings how few of the branches and twigs I've actually painted, and how the application of a loose watery wash of paint over the top of those branches just gives an impression of the mass of detail that you, the viewer, know in your mind to be there. If you simplify detail your work will have an interesting, impressionistic feel.

By the way, the colours I used in the painting are Prussian Blue, Cadmium Red, Cadmium Yellow Pale and Burnt Sienna. The monochrome was painted in a sepia mixed from French Ultramarine Blue and Burnt Sienna. For tips on colour mixing, click here.

Winter sunshine at Burnham Norton - watercolour.

Burnham Norton church - sepia monochrome.

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