I posted a photo of these easy watercolor and line trees last year on Instagram and so many of you requested a handout. It took me this long, but I finally created a handout (for this lesson) and a video too!
This is just the perfect type of lesson: easy, technique rich and beautiful. To create this project, give each student a piece of watercolor paper (not essential but the watercolor paint will look more vibrant on watercolor paper than sulphite paper), a black waterproof marker and access to watercolor paints.
DOWNLOAD THIS HANDOUT:
HOW TO DRAW AND PAINT FOLK ART TREES
Draw tree trunks with a Sharpie or waterproof black marker.

Draw larger trees near the bottom of the paper and smaller trees behind the larger ones OR draw a row of trees like I did in the video.
Draw various lines to create the branches of the trees (refer to handout for ideas).

Use watercolor paints to create a halo of color around the tree branches. If you don’t want the colors of paint to bleed, make sure to allow for space between each halo OR paint a few and then add in more after the first trees dry. This approach takes longer.

If you create this lesson in your art room, I’d love to see it!
You can join The Deep Space Sparkle Facebook Page right HERE
Wonderful lesson, thanks for sharing!
Thank you!!??
Love this
love it!
Thank you!!
Wonderful!
Thank you 🙂
We did the leaves for a tree that I created on a large bulletin board and they turned out beautifully. This is a wonderful extension to our leaf project. Thank you so much!!!
Thank YOU Roberta!
Great idea!
Love this
You’re so talented. thank you so much for sharing your gift with us. I love all your posts and I am so thankful for the time you spend to share it with it with the world. (heart emoji) thank you!
Love this lesson. I’m trying to download the guide but nothing is appearing in my email,
Have you checked your junk mail folder? Is it a school email address that might be blocking DSS? Can you try a different email?
Let us know and then reach out to support@deepspacesparkle.com for more help 🙂
I LOVE this lesson! I have taught art for 26 years and really enjoy teaching your lessons! You are an inspiration to all! My friends who were afraid to teach art now are having a lot of fun!
nice job
nice job i am in grade 3
Will love the free drawing guide, very fun and easy for kids to add to their art catolog
Love this project. Can you tell me where I can access the video you created for the folk Art Trees? I am a member, but cannot find it. Thank you. Monica
Hi Monica: You will find the video inside the FALL TIME FAVORITES BUNDLE, in the ART ON A CART mini-curriculum 🙂
iS IT INSPIRED BY A PARTICULAR ARTIST OR GENRE?
i look forward to the guide
Thank you for posting your lessons. It has helped me teach on line art.
This was really fun !!! 🙂
My third graders loved this “Folk Art Trees” lesson! Thank you for sharing it. It has been an especially wonderful lesson to use during our virtual art classes.
We love it
Nice project; easy breezy, it is so colorful and any color chosen works well with each other no matter how you arrange them. Therefore getting my 5 year old kindergartener to complete the assignment was a breeze. I created one and demonstrated the strokes for the paint and she was off to the races, 🥳 very creative
Excellent
Thank you so much don’t know what I will do without DEEP SPACE SPARKLE.
Fantastic! We have 9 grands and I have an art studio for them and their friends! After COVID, we will have fun, thanks to you!
Thank you so much, I love painting and you’re so good!