Easy Watercolour Forest Tutorial for Beginners

Looking for a simple and beginner-friendly guide to painting a watercolor forest? You’re in the right place!

Supplies Needed

This tutorial works best with watercolor paints, a round brush, a flat brush or mop, a palette, and water.

Step 1: Paint the Sky (Base Layer)

Start by creating a soft sky using the wet-on-wet technique. Mix your chosen blue (Phthalo Blue or any other favorite) with water until it’s diluted. Wet the area of the paper where the sky will go, then apply the blue starting at the top, letting the color gradually fade as you move downward. Add extra water toward the bottom so the blue becomes lighter. Allow this layer to dry completely.

Step 2: Deepen the Sky (Second Layer)

Once the base sky is dry, darken it slightly using the wet-on-dry technique. Switch to a round brush and don’t worry about making the sky perfectly smooth—natural variation looks better. Begin at the top of the paper where the pigment is strongest and fade it downward. Add more color to the top if you want a more vibrant sky. Let it dry.

Step 3: Create the Forest Floor

Mix a green of your choice (like Forest Green) with equal parts water to create a diluted wash. Use a round brush to paint an uneven, slightly sloping line along the bottom of the paper. Fill in the area to suggest the forest ground. Allow this to dry.

Step 4: Paint Background Pine Trees

Using lightly diluted green paint, create pine trees in the background. Draw thin vertical lines for trunks and use small zigzag dabs down the line to form triangular tree shapes. The top of each tree should be light and sparse, while the lower branches get darker and fuller. Let this layer dry.

Step 5: Paint Midground Pine Trees

Next, layer trees in the midground with a slightly darker green. Repeat the process of thin trunks and zigzag branch shapes. Have the trees overlap to add depth. These trees should be medium in tone since they are closer to the viewer. Dry the layer completely.

Step 6: Paint Foreground Pine Trees

Finally, use a dark green pigment for the trees in the foreground. Again, draw thin trunks and add zigzag branches. These trees are the darkest and most detailed since they are nearest to the viewer. Add extra texture to the branches and deepen the green along the bottom to suggest grass. Let everything dry.

Conclusion

You’ve completed your beginner-friendly watercolor forest! By using layers and varying the shades of green, you’ve created a sense of depth and texture. Try experimenting with different trees, colors, and compositions to create your own forest variations.