Simple and Fun Art: Tree Painting

Teaching art can be a seemingly daunting task, especially if you are not very artsy. However, art doesn’t have to be complicated. An art project should be a catalyst for your child’s imagination to take it to the next level, encouraging them to express themselves in their own unique way. So it’s up to us to find the resources that will help encourage them to be creative but also have fun as well. 

Here are a few reasons why you should keep art simple and fun.

1. Get everyone in on the fun! Keeping art simple makes it easier for everyone in the family to join in and participate. The good part is, even if you’ve got someone who isn’t so great at art, everyone else can help out along the way. In fact, having different skill sets will produce different versions of the same piece of art, making them special and unique. 

2. Get the creative juices flowing! Simplifying art allows your children to focus more on their creativity and self-expression. If you don’t stress so much about the technical complexities of doing an art piece, then your children can freely express themselves and experiment with different styles and ideas.

3. Get the stress out! Art is often used as a form of relaxation and stress relief. When art becomes too complicated or technical, it can turn into a source of pressure and frustration. By keeping art simple and fun, it allows your kids to enjoy the process without the added stress of achieving perfection. This can make art a therapeutic and enjoyable activity to engage in especially on those stressful days!

4. Get confident! There’s nothing like seeing your child running up to you with an art piece completed that they are proud of. When they create something visually appealing and enjoyable, it provides a sense of accomplishment, boosting self-esteem and motivation to continue further exploration in art. Plus, there’s always room on the fridge for those extra paintings!

It’s time to do some art! Let’s try this simple tree painting.

Tree Painting Project

Here’s what you’ll need:

• Green paint (Have a few different shades of green if you can.)
• Small paint brushes (You can experiment with various sizes for your leaves.)
• A small cup with water to rinse your brushes
• A paint palette or paper plate to pour your paint on
• A covered surface to work on for easy clean up
• Drawing paper and pencil crayons (black/brown or whatever colour you’d like your tree trunk to be) OR print out the tree trunk PDF to use as your base  

Print your PDF

Instructions:

1. If you’ve got a budding artist in the house, encourage them to draw the tree trunk and branches, or you can use the printed PDF.
2. If using different shades of green, start with the darker shade first. Dip your brush in the paint and hold your brush vertically to dab your paint around the branches of your tree.

 Dip as many times as necessary. Once you are satisfied with the amount of leaves, you can move on to the next shade, using the next lighter shade of green. 

1. 1. 3. Make sure your tree looks nice and full! Experiment with different brushes to get a different look.

1. 1. 4. Give your painting a chance to dry a bit if you decide you want to add anything else to your tree, like flowers or fruit or whatever you wish!
      5. Let your painting dry completely.
      6. For additional painting fun, sketch out some other things around your tree and then paint a complete picture to hang up in your room.

This craft can be just for fun but can also be used as part of your curriculum. Use it as an application for your study on trees or leaves, or use it as a starting point for building your storytelling skills. This will be a fun way for your child to tell a story through art, especially if writing is one subject they dread. 

Would you love to teach art to your children, but you don’t know where to start? Does time spent on more “academic” subjects sometimes push art out of the schedule? Achieving Art Success with ArtAchieve could be the answer you are looking for! Designed for multiple ages, the lessons are easy to teach, AND those academic subjects are even integrated throughout the course. Get all details on SchoolhouseTeachers.com!

There is much more available still! See all Art courses available on SchoolhouseTeachers.com today.

Don’t forget to have fun with your child as you explore the world of art!

This article has been written by homeschooling staff writers of The Canadian Schoolhouse (TCS). Enjoy more of our content from TCS contributors and staff writers by visiting our themes page that has a new theme topic added every month!