How to Paint Expressive Trees and Shrubs..NEW Pastel Demo/Tutorial

'Morning Magic'           8x10            pastel         ©Karen Margulis
sold

I used to avoid painting trees. I didn't like my trees. They were too fussy. No matter how hard I tried I would over work them and paint too many leaves!  They didn't look good and it just wasn't fun.  Along the way my style has evolved and I finally figured out how to simplify my trees. I enjoy putting them in my landscapes now. It has taken practice and restraint to keep them simple but it is a lot more fun. Landscapes with trees don't scare me (as much) anymore.

I decided to put together my tips for painting foliage and making trees, shrubs and grasses more expressive into my next pdf demo tutorial. I am pleased to announce that it has been released today and is available for download in my Etsy shop. Here is a preview of what's inside:

This is my largest pdf demo with 29 pages and 57 color photos. I take you through the process of painting from the preparation of the paper to the finishing details.

You are welcome to follow along and paint or use the demo as an insight into my process. I have learned so much from watching demos so I wanted to offer a way to share my process.  A video would be nice but in a way this step by step demo is even better because I freeze each step with a photo and detailed commentary on each step!

How will this painting develop? What is next?

close up of the trees in progress

I now have 10 of these demo/tutorials available in my Etsy shop. They are $6 each or you can choose a set of the 5 demos (part 1 and 2) for $24.  These are digital downloads in pdf format. You can view them on your computer or tablet or print them out and staple them into a booklet!  Click on the links for more information and to purchase the demos:

New demo: Painting Expressive Trees and Shrubs

The first 5 Demos: includes a simple marsh on canson, a very green landscape, turpenoid wash/water, painting an autumn marsh, how to paint animals. 

The second 5 Demos: Includes How to paint a mini pastel, How to paint the beach, Watercolor underpainting with daisies, Winter landscape with snow, How to paint expressive trees and foliage

Here are some testimonials:
Excellent tutorial! I love the super-detailed step-by-step approach and the inclusion of little tricks and tips. It's difficult finding really good pastel 'how-to' books (by great artists whose work I admire), but your tutorials fill that gap! Looking forward to more! 

What a wonderful way to get an organized, well developed lesson in the comforts of my own home! Thank you Karen for a great lesson, I'll keep practicing!!

All of Karen's demos are fantastic--information-rich, lots of photos, detailed examples, easy to follow.