06-13-2011, 10:20 PM
continued from previous page
Now, inside the red area, start stippling on the darkest greens and olives, even mix in some black and gray, in a varied pattern, not one color. Go ahead and get rid of all the sky color in the red area. Then stipple in the various darker colors and maybe some medium colors up above the red area. In the gray area, put in a medium green and olive. This will help lend depth to the scene.
Stipple some more dark and medium right along the upper part of the solid color, inside the red area below, to make the area gradually go from solid to "sky showing through". Also use medium green and stipple into the remaining empty areas below the tree - sky junction
Next, add tree trunks using a small brush and antique white paint. Thin the paint a bit with water, not too much though. There is a perfect consistency where the paint will flow off the brush, but not run or become too transparent. Practice. Use the photos for reference, even other tree and forest photos. If you try the trunks from memory, just what "seems" right, the trunks sometimes look "toy-like". Spend some time viewing tree trunks to get a feel for how the branches extend from the trunks, etc. Not saying I am any good at it, but look at nature, and look at the photos, and paint what is there. Certainly a little artist's license is necessary. My trees are definitely different from my photos. Still, I used the photo for the overall feel of the real thing. I actually added more trunks than what shows in the photo.
Once the trunks are dry, use a fine pencil to darken the trunks a bit, darker on the side away from the sun. Even the limbs can get a thin pencil line on the side away from the sun. Can't so much tell in the photo below, but the darkening of the trunks on the left, while leaving them lighter on the right, certainly gives a feeling of dimension.
Didn't mention earlier, but you don't want to stipple new paint into wet paint on the backdrop. Using a hair dryer to dry the paint will save some time. I use this alot.
continued....
Now, inside the red area, start stippling on the darkest greens and olives, even mix in some black and gray, in a varied pattern, not one color. Go ahead and get rid of all the sky color in the red area. Then stipple in the various darker colors and maybe some medium colors up above the red area. In the gray area, put in a medium green and olive. This will help lend depth to the scene.
Stipple some more dark and medium right along the upper part of the solid color, inside the red area below, to make the area gradually go from solid to "sky showing through". Also use medium green and stipple into the remaining empty areas below the tree - sky junction
Next, add tree trunks using a small brush and antique white paint. Thin the paint a bit with water, not too much though. There is a perfect consistency where the paint will flow off the brush, but not run or become too transparent. Practice. Use the photos for reference, even other tree and forest photos. If you try the trunks from memory, just what "seems" right, the trunks sometimes look "toy-like". Spend some time viewing tree trunks to get a feel for how the branches extend from the trunks, etc. Not saying I am any good at it, but look at nature, and look at the photos, and paint what is there. Certainly a little artist's license is necessary. My trees are definitely different from my photos. Still, I used the photo for the overall feel of the real thing. I actually added more trunks than what shows in the photo.
Once the trunks are dry, use a fine pencil to darken the trunks a bit, darker on the side away from the sun. Even the limbs can get a thin pencil line on the side away from the sun. Can't so much tell in the photo below, but the darkening of the trunks on the left, while leaving them lighter on the right, certainly gives a feeling of dimension.
Didn't mention earlier, but you don't want to stipple new paint into wet paint on the backdrop. Using a hair dryer to dry the paint will save some time. I use this alot.
continued....
Thank you so much for sharing your methods with the rest of us! 
