Course Overview

Learn essential techniques for painting trees in acrylic and capture the awe-inspiring qualities of every season in tranquil forestscapes. This course, guided by artist and author Peter John Reid, covers everything from the fundamentals of tree anatomy and mixing greens to special acrylic methods, building up to painting groups of trees and atmospheric effects for stunning natural scenes.

Video Lesson List

1. Elements of the Tree

Meet your instructor, Peter John Reid, and discover a new way to observe and understand trees. Explore the differences in trunks, branches, and canopies between species, and learn tricks for capturing each tree’s unique character.

Duration: 26 min

2. Mixing Greens

Master the cornerstone skill of mixing various shades of green. Learn about value, saturation, and hue, practice creating a color mixing chart, and discover how different greens create distinct effects in your paintings.

Duration: 24 min

3. Wet-in-Wet Blends for Backgrounds

Learn Peter’s technique for painting skies and backgrounds with wet-in-wet blends. Find out how to handle quick-drying acrylics to achieve smooth gradations, and try methods for glazing and blending to create sunsets or misty scenes.

Duration: 23 min

4. Forms in Groups

Simplify complex scenes by painting groups of trees for depth and perspective. Get tips on taking reference photos and learn how to paint the basic shapes of trees before layering on details for realism.

Duration: 26 min

5. The Watercolor Technique

Explore a different style with Peter’s acrylic watercolor technique. Use spray bottles for airbrushed effects, cover large areas quickly with vibrant texture, and mount your painting on a wood panel for a professional finish.

Duration: 19 min

6. Painting Tree Noise

Create texture and the feeling of massed trees, grasses, and leaves—“tree noise”—without painting each element individually. Use thinned colors and a color shaper for impressionistic tree trunks, and adjust values for atmospheric perspective.

Duration: 18 min

7. Negative Painting

Advance with negative painting techniques to shape misty, tree-lined lakes and snowfields. Learn to cover different areas for depth and add luminescence with bursts of sky shining through foliage.

Duration: 30 min