How to Paint a Wooded Scene in Oil Colours

Demonstration on Painting an Avenue of Trees Within a Forest

Aug 6, 2009

A scene portraying a sunlit avenue snaking its way through a forest is almost mesmerising for its abstract quality of light and shade.

A scene depicting an avenue slicing through a thicket of trees is a great opportunity for the artist to explore abstract shapes, contrasting colours and emphasis on depth within a composition. The eye cannot resist being drawn through the trees almost tunnel-like to where one wonders where the path leads. This demonstration in oils was completed by the following preparations and technique.

The Art Materials Required for the Painting

Producing Washes by Using Linseed Oil

The artboard had been prepared with a thin layer of diluted acrylic earth colour to set the tones of the painting and to make the light and shadow easier to judge. When the acrylic paint had dried, the sketch was transferred onto the art surface and overlaid with neat blue acrylic paint to make the drawing stand out (fig 1).

The highlighted areas were painted in first so that it would not be contaminated by any neighbouring colour. White and a little pthalo blue were mixed with plenty of linseed oil and applied onto selected areas of the sky and path. Linseed oil thins the oil paint in the same way that water thins watercolour and is often used for wet into wet techniques. In this case, just a touch is required. Linseed oil can be used to create delicate washes and a glossy finish (fig 2).

An Oil Sketch of Sunlight and Shade

The ground exhibited a patchwork of parched areas and luscious greens. A mixture of white and viridian was used on some areas, white and burnt sienna on others (fig 3). The multitude of trunks in the distance was illustrated by the application of a mixture of burnt sienna, white and ultramarine. Allowing brush marks to remain suggests detail.

Painting the Branches

The remainder of the sky was painted in with additional white, pthalo blue and linseed oil. With a thin sable, the branches were “fed” into the sky in the direction of the growth. The linseed oil gives the painting a fluid and energetic feel to the brush marks (fig 4).

With a mixture of ultramarine and permanent rose, the shadows on the ground were suggested via bold strokes. The shaded areas of the branches in the distance were suggested by dabbing this colour at selected areas. The painting was finally completed by dabbing pure colours here and there to give it added vibrancy.

A Forested Setting in Oil Paint

A sunlit scene with dynamic shadows often results in an eye-catching composition. Using linseed oil is a great way of adding fluidity and vibrancy to the painting. By using contrasting colours and tone, one can suggest dappled light and shade featured within any sunlit forest scene.

The copyright of the article How to Paint a Wooded Scene in Oil Colours in Landscape Painting is owned by Rachel Wills. Permission to republish How to Paint a Wooded Scene in Oil Colours in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.