A demonstration of painting trees in watercolour at Erwood Station on 1st November 2025
by David Bellamy
Every landscape painter needs to paint trees, and many find them quite difficult and so resort to a standard Letra-Set-type tree in all their work, whether painting in Scotland or Swaziland. In this demonstration David will be showing you how to bring new excitement and life to your trees in a simple, easy-to-understand way. The session will include:
• Giving your trees a distinctive look that suggests certain species;
• Enhancing tree detail with character and colour;
• Studying a variety of tree species and how to paint each type;
• Avoiding common mistakes such as the tree silhouette effect;
• How to suggest a mass of winter trees;
• Using a tree as a focal point in a composition.
David will paint a scene showing a number of trees at various distances, including a large tree as a centre of interest, and including a distant mass of trees, as well as other features in the landscape. He will also demonstrate individual trees of species not covered in the main demonstration, so that you will see a whole range of different approaches to suit the intended environment, whether pastoral, coastal, mountain or whatever. There will be particular advice on the various types of branch structure. David will also provide each participant with notes on these aspects. You will be able to ask questions throughout the demonstration.
The demonstration will take place at Erwood Station Gallery & Craft Centre at 1pm. Refreshments will be available halfway through the session which will end around 4pm. Further information can be obtained from Erwood Station on 01982 560555 or email at erwoodstation@hotmail.com
David will also have original paintings and copies of his books on display
