Join me on a painting adventure right here at One Tree Point, just down the road from my home. I initially set out to paint a different tree, but as I explored, I stumbled upon these magnificent old trees leaning together, their stark shapes beautifully contrasting against a dark backdrop and a glowing field of golden grass. The scene captivated me instantly, and I felt an overwhelming urge to capture it on canvas. In this chapter, I'll guide you through the process of painting this dynamic scene on a 10 x 8 panel, which took me about an hour and 20 minutes. You'll see how using large brushes can help you swiftly capture the essence of a scene without getting bogged down in details. The key is to focus on what you love most about the subject, and this lesson will show you how to do just that. I hope it inspires you to venture outdoors and create your own masterpieces, embracing the spontaneity and joy of plein air painting.
This guide accompanies the full video lesson. The lesson includes the complete narrated video, the printable PDF chapter, and personalised critique support.
Understand that the tree's color is influenced by its surroundings. Although the tree is not a mirror, it reflects the sky and nearby elements. Focus on painting the local color of the tree, considering both its natural color and the reflected light from the environment.
Add Sky Reflections
Identify areas of the tree that reflect the sky. These areas should be painted with a lighter blue to mimic the sky's reflection. This helps to create a realistic interaction between the tree and its environment.
Incorporate Ground Reflections
Notice the golden grass in the foreground and its light bouncing onto the tree. Add a touch of orange and yellow to the grey of the tree to represent this reflected light. This subtle warmth lays the groundwork for future highlights.
Prepare for Future Highlights
Focus on maintaining the darks and shadows for now. This preparation will make the eventual highlights on the branches more striking. Exercise self-control to resist the urge to add highlights too soon.
Pro tipAdd orange and yellow to grey areas of the tree to reflect light from golden grass.
Embark on your painting journey by thoughtfully arranging your palette and preparing your canvas. Begin with a pre-painted and scrubbed canvas to facilitate smooth paint application, and sketch your composition using a loose, watery mixture of alizarin crimson and ultramarine blue. Position your subject slightly off-center to create a dynamic and engaging composition.
As you lay in the darks, use odourless thinners for a subtle base layer, and plan your color palette to emphasize the main subject. Focus on the painting process as a learning opportunity, experimenting with thin layers to achieve light textural effects. Imagine your trees as a family to naturally vary their sizes and positions, avoiding uniform patterns.
Balance detail and abstraction by using broad strokes and adding selective details to highlight key elements. Pay attention to the interaction of light and shadow, using reflected light to enhance realism. Build up green tones with vibrant mid-greens and apply intuitive design choices to guide the viewer’s eye, creating a harmonious and lively composition.
Points to remember
Arrange your palette for easy access and mixing.
Use a pre-painted canvas for smoother paint application.
Position your subject off-center for dynamic compositions.
Use odourless thinners for laying in darks.
Plan your composition by focusing on the main subject.
Work with thin paint layers for light textural effects.
Vary the size and placement of sky holes to avoid patterns.
Think of objects as mirrors to determine reflected colors.
