Birch Tree Demo - Page 5

From these puddles on the paper..paint in some curved lines to show the roundness of the birch. We first identify the shape of the tree, determine the colour we choose to tell the story, then execute the texture.

From either..the puddles on the paper...or from the palette..scrape/paint some branches in using a palette knife or a small brush. I prefer the knife as it gives a more "twiggy" natural look. The branches should really appear angular. After every growing season the branch takes off at a slightly different angle. The birch is a rather rugged, hearty tree and the angular strokes capture the character quite nicely.