3 steps to draw trees wet in wet using watercolors

Drawing trees in watercolors using wet in wet technique is a very educational exercise, all you have to do is grab a small sketchbook, a brush, 3 to 4 colours and you are ready to go.

So here you go, only 3 easy steps to do it :

Step 1- You start doing the foliage wet in wet, applying a layer of yellow, then another layer of green, and why not small touches of orange here and there, for a feeling of fall.

Step 2- Then mix a brown watercolor, let’s say Burnt Umber with some French Ultramarine and apply a thick and rich mixture in order to depict the branches of your tree, don’t wait until the foliage colors are dry… apply your dark color wet in wet in order for it to bleed into the initial foliage colours suggesting dark areas shaded by the foliage.

Step 3- Start the tree branches from up to down, from the smallest branches, and getting bigger as you go down, finishing with the tree trunk, applying only the dark colour from one side in order to suggest rounded form.

Et Voila, not bad for an Oak tree…..

It’s a very easy exercise and it has helped me a lot to conquer my fear of painting and drawing tress in watercolours.