Diane McClary: Smoke Trees

Smoke trees were an essential part of survival in the desert a century ago. To this day their feathery, tiny, sage colored leaves are striking to see. 

Painting a Smoke tree, which is what this DVD centers on, provides the information necessary to capture the essence of any tree anywhere that has tiny leaves, and, for that matter, fir and pine trees. Do you try to paint each one? How do you “describe” it on your canvas without making yourself crazy?

Their trunk structures are also unique, but again, so are the trunks of many trees (besides those elms and oaks which are more linear.

This DVD has the answers. Diane employs and demonstrates successful techniques such as:

• How to simplify, yet still describe the shape of the foliage and its relationship to the background.
• How to mix and exaggerate the colors of a largely cool palette to achieve contrast, emphasis, and interest.
• How to choose and mix the cool colors of the shadows and the direction of the light on the subject, and much more.