Quick Watercolor Tip: Light vs. Dark Colors
To create light colors, such as light red, add more water and use less pigment. To create dark, rich colors, such as dark blue, use more pigment and less water. You can also mix in a tiny amount of black to darken a color, but use it sparingly—black can quickly overpower the original color and make it look muddy. Add a little at a time until you achieve the shade you want.
The key to painting this tree is to build the warm foliage in layers, then give the trunk depth with contrasting lights and darks. Here are the six steps to follow with your visual guide.
Step 1 — Light pencil sketch (Skip if you purchased one of our watercolor art kits)
- Lightly draw the trunk, widening it at the roots.
- Split the trunk into several large, sweeping branches.
- Sketch loose clusters of maple-shaped leaves around the canopy.
- Add a few individual falling leaves and a light ground line.
Keep it loose: You don’t need to outline every leaf.
Step 2 — Paint the first washes
- Mix plenty of water with yellow
- Dab loose leaf clusters across the canopy, leaving small white gaps.
- Add a very pale brown wash to the trunk.
- Use a light yellow-green wash for the ground.
Let this layer dry before adding stronger colors.
Step 3 — Build the colorful leaves
- Add orange and red in separate clusters.
- Vary the colors rather than blending the entire canopy together.
- Add small touches of green for contrast.
- Use the tip of your brush to create jagged leaf edges.
Tip: Leave some of the original yellow wash visible for glowing highlights.
Step 4 — Deepen the trunk
- Layer brown and dark brown over the dry trunk.
- Paint darker shadows where the branches divide and along the trunk’s edges.
- Leave irregular lighter streaks down the center and right side.
- Use a smaller brush for bark marks and root details.
Follow the direction of the trunk with your strokes to suggest its form.
Step 5 — Add details and falling leaves
- Add thin dark branches using brown mixed with gray.
- Paint a few individual leaves floating around the tree.
- Scatter red, orange, and yellow leaves along the ground.
- Add broken green and brown strokes for grass and earth.
Keep the falling leaves spaced apart so they stand out.
Step 6 — Final touches
- Strengthen a few dark areas in the trunk and branch junctions.
- Add selective leaf veins and darker leaf centers.
- Deepen the ground shadow immediately beneath the roots.
- Add a few final orange and red accents to balance the canopy.
Stop before every leaf is detailed. The variety of soft washes and crisp edges creates the watercolor effect.
Most important technique: Paint the foliage with a mix of dabbing and short, irregular strokes. Use transparent yellow first, then orange and red, and finish with just a few darker accents. This gives the tree its autumn glow without making the canopy look too heavy.