How To Easily Paint a Fall Tree With Watercolor Paint (with Video)

Contrary to popular belief, watercolor painting can actually be done pretty easily and quickly. We love watercolor paint due to the fun that can happen naturally. Learn how to easily paint an Autumn tree with watercolor paint.

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Yes, you can buy the most expensive watercolor paints, brushes and watercolor paper. The paper is probably the most important part. Make sure you are getting heavy paper meant for watercoloring. If not your colors will not blend as nicely.

But to enjoy watercolor painting, you really don’t have to. I used scholar brushes (super cheap brushes meant for kids, but surprisingly pretty good quality) and a paint set. Check out the video at the end to see the quick and easy way to paint a fall tree using watercolor paint.

Helpful Watercolor Painting Techniques to know

• Wet on Wet: The colors will blend more when the paper is wet. This is great for the Fall colors or even skies
• Wet on Dry: You will get crisper lines and able to paint layers without the colors mixing. 
• Drybrush: Use the texture of the brush to stamp the leaf like look. Again the warm colors (orange, yellow, reds will naturally bend)
• Wash: Dilute part of the color with water. This can help things look more realistic by getting different tones of color.

Tips for painting your tree

1. Don’t overwork the area. There are many times we have added more thinking it would be better and it wasn’t. 
2. Loose areas are a style and look great in watercolor paint.
3. Stick with warm colors (yellow, orange, red)

Fall tree watercolor step-by-step

Step 1: Put a wet wash down in an oval shape. It doesn’t need to be perfect and is better if it looks more organic.

Step 2: Add some light yellow, and yellow-orange to the wash. Let the colors mix naturally. If you try to be perfect or overwork the watercolor you will be sad. Dab in a little wet orange watercolor paint.

Step 3: Let dry.

Step 4: Once dry, begin to paint part of the trunk and a few branches. Try to create organic lines and they do not have to be complete lines. It is best if they are broken up a little.

Step 4: In the trunk, take a little water to make one side darker and one side lighter. Let dry.

Step 5: Take a larger brush and dab more saturated reds, oranges and yellows. The saturated colors are achieved by having less water in your brush. Using a paper towel and testing it on a side paper may be helpful.

If desired, you can even add a more saturated color to the edges or underside of the branches to try to create a more 3-dimensional feel.

Follow us on Pinterest or YouTube for more arts and crafts ideas!

Related Fall Crafts

• How To Easily Paint A Fall Pumpkin
• 27+ Fall Crafts For Adults
• Clay Pinch Pot Monsters

Printable instructions here!

Have fun and don’t take yourself too seriously painting a fall tree with watercolor paint!

How To Paint A Fall Tree With Watercolor Paint

Learn how to paint a simple Fall tree using watercolor paint in under 10 minutes.

Print Pin Rate

Course: Craft Ideas For Adults

Keyword: easy watercolor paint ideas, how to paint a fall tree

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Active Time: 10 minutes

Additional Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Author: Erin

Materials

• ▢ Watercolor Cards Strathmore Cards or Thick Watercolor Paper
• ▢ Synthetic Brush we used cheap brushes for this
• ▢ Watercolor paints

Instructions

• Put a wet wash down in an oval type shape.
• Add some light yellow, yellow-orange to the wash. Naturally let the colors mix. If you try to be perfect or overwork the watercolor you will be sad.
  Dab in a little wet orange watercolor paint.
• Let dry.
• Once dry, begin to paint part of the trunk and a few branches. Try to create organic lines and they do not have to be complete lines. It is best if they are broken up a little.
• In the trunk, take a little water to make one side darker and one side lighter.
• Let dry. Take a larger brush and dab more saturated reds, oranges and yellows. The saturated colors are achieved by having less water in your brush. Using a paper towel and testing it on a side paper may be helpful.
• If desired, you can even add a more saturated color to the edges or underside of the branches to try to create a more 3-dimensional feel.
  

Video