Trying to paint trees is a real ordeal for me. I never seem to get the colours quite right, I struggle with the leaves, and I’m never sure how much detail to include when the trees are really just part of the background of a scene. This course was excellent and full of very practical tips – including the mysterious MOXIWUV technique! I particularly liked the idea of working with a limited palette and seeing how much can be achieved with just a few colours. Jen Dion manages to create beautiful, convincing trees, whether realistic or more imaginary, without making the process seem overly complicated, and she does so with a nice sens of humour. Of course, it all looked much easier in the course than it does in my sketchbook! I’ll need to practise quite a bit more, but at least I now have some techniques to try and, more importantly, the feeling that I might actually succeed at painting trees one day.
“Remember to really look at what you see in nature for guidance on your colour palette and how the tress interact with their environments.”