Why Can't I Paint Trees?

Springtime Birches - Acrylic Watercolour

This is a question I have frequently heard and the answer isn't as simple as it might appear at first sight.


The problem which beginner painters, in particular, experience is due to the carry over of the childhood concept of ‘tree’. Children see trees as a stick with a green blob of foliage at the top, a kind of green lollipop. For a child that symbol is sufficient to represent all of the trees on the planet, whatever the species or size of tree they wish to represent. A tree is a tree and it’s as simple as that.

This over simplification of tree may suffice during early childhood but when an artist starts to take things a bit more seriously it is obviously totally inadequate.

There are millions upon millions of trees in the world and no two are alike. So can there be a ‘way to paint or draw trees’?

No! Of course there can’t be a single simple way to paint trees. At best there can only be a series of techniques which, when employed together, allow symbols which represent a tree, or trees, to be created.

It is necessary for the beginner landscape artist to go out with a sketchbook and to look at trees in detail. Notice how the trunks vary, not only in shape and size but also in texture. Notice the canopy and the way the sky shows through the holes in the foliage.

If you are painting using transparent watercolour the sky holes will have to be left as light coloured paper. Possibly the use of a masking fluid would be appropriate here. If you paint with one of the opaque media, such as oils or acrylics, then the sky holes can be painted in later using a lighter colour.

Study the variation of colour and texture in the canopy. Pay particular attention to different trees standing alongside each other and the ways in which they differ. Look at the ways in which they might be similar.

Notice the trees in the background and how they appear different from those in the foreground even though they may be of the same species. Notice how the foliage of the more distant trees can appear to be bluer the further into the background they go. Notice how detail is lost in the trees that are furthest away.

Following all this observation, note taking and sketching comes the hard work of painting what you see, experimenting with different brushes to see what kind of marks can be made with them. Small pieces of sponge can be used to dab in sections of foliage.

If something you try works make a note of it and incorporate that technique into your repertoire of painting methods. If what you try doesn’t work then drop that and try something else. Constant experimenting with techniques and colour will lead eventually to ways of working which will produce symbols which convey the impression of trees convincingly.

Remember that when we paint a tree we are not creating a tree, merely a symbol to represent the concept of that particular tree. There are millions of trees and therefore there must be millions of symbols, all different, to represent those trees in our artworks.

Enjoy those differences.

Tomorrow I shall be talking about 'Style'.

Until then take care!

Tony

Overcome Artists Block

Estury...........Pastel on Mountboard

You know the problem. We’ve all been there. For a while you are painting pictures quite happily then all of a sudden it happens – the block. You just cannot find anything to paint. If you do try to paint nothing works – so what is the answer?

First you must understand that there can be more than one reason for the block to occur. It may be that you have simply become stale and you need a break from painting to recharge your creative batteries. Or it may be that you need a completely fresh approach. So try the following steps and see if that helps. They have done for me.

1. Take a break and do something different for a while, maybe even go on holiday. Try somewhere new, a place you haven't been to before.

2. Try a new medium. If you paint in oils try watercolour for a change.

3. Try a diffferent subject. If you paint landscapes try a portrait, a still life or perhaps even an abstract.

4. Take a sheet of paper and a stick of charcoal and just doodle. Use a putty rubber to remove sections or lines. Study the shapes, lines and areas you have produced. Do they suggest a subject or a treatment?

5. Take a sheet of paper and a couple of tubes of watercolour paint and use a large brush to let the colours blend and mix on wet paper. Pull the paint about with the brush, your fingers or a piece of card. Let it dry and then stand back and look at the result. Do you see something of interest? Mask ares and try to isolate an area of interest. Can you turn this section into a finished work? Perhaps enlarge a small section onto another support. Use your imagination.

6. Go for a walk and look at the things around you with fresh eyes. Really look at that tree. Walk up to it and feel the bark, the roughness of it or perhaps the smoothness. Look at the leaves. How many colours can you see here? Look again at the bark, how many colours are there here? Don't limit yourself just to trees, look at and feel the textures and colours in everything around you. Learn not just to look but to see. Make notes about everything that you find interesting. Pay special attention to any lighting effects that may occur. Be ready for them, as they can be very transitory. Look at the sky, the shapes of the clouds, the colours and the way they merge and blend into each other. Make more notes.

7. Take a picture mount and just throw it on to an area of rough ground. Take a close look at the area within the framed borders. It may be abstract but can you see a picture here? Just look, let your mind go blank and wander. What thoughts and ideas flow into your head? Don't force anything. Let it simply happen. Be open and receptive to any idea which may appear. Write it down before it fades away.

8. Visit a gallery and look at the work of others. If you live far from a gallery try browsing through art books or magazines. Don't actively try to find pictures which appeal to you. Look at everything. Look at the details within the pictures you see. If something creates a spark of interest make a note of it, then carry on and look some more.

9. Put on some music. Something gentle perhaps, soothing. Close your eyes and allow your thoughts to wander with the music. Relax and breathe slowly and deeply. Let the mood of the music take you on a journey. Just go with it and let it happen. When the music stops, open your eyes slowly and write down any thoughts, feelings or ideas that have ocured to you.

10. Put a dozen tubes of paint of different colours into a bag or box. Shake them about to mix them up. Without looking pick out three tubes at random. Use these colours to paint a small sketch of the first thing you notice when you step outside the back door of your house. Being restricted entirely to the random selection of colours will probably force some ingenuity on your part and it might just lead to something creative happening.

Try it and see.

Best of luck

Tony

Tony Talks Art

'After the Rain' , Mixed media - Watercolor & Acrylic

Hi! My name is Tony Attwood and I live in Somerset in the UK. I have been painting and drawing practically all my life but started to take it really seriously in 1984. I believe that everyone can learn both to draw and to paint as it is predominantly a craft skill like bricklaying or plumbing.

My purpose in setting up this blog is to encourage people who believe they can't draw or paint to have a go. I would also like to encourage people who already do paint to experiment more so that their painting develops. I will show some of my work hoping to get some feedback on it. Comments both good and bad are welcome.

If you think I might be able to help with a painting problem then post a comment or email me with your question and I will do my best to help. I may not be able to answer all of your questions personally and if that is the case I will set up a FAQ page. Some of the posts I put up will show how to paint, or at least how I do it, and how it works for me. Other posts will attempt to give guidance in solving painting problems.

Originally I painted in transparent watercolour but over the years I have added acrylics and pastels to my work so most now fall into the category of mixed media. The painting above was done a few years ago. Recently I have experimented with a more abstract form of landscape. For me whatever works is right. For example when I add some pastel work to a watercolour, it too is worked in with a little water and in this way I can obtain effects which I can achieve in no other way.

Well, that's it for today. Tomorrow I will post an article on how to beat the block.

Till then, take care and keep painting.

Tony