New Year tree drawing with paints, gouache for children

By practicing and experimenting with different techniques, Children will be able to develop their creative abilities and learn to convey the New Year mood in the visual arts by drawing the obligatory attribute of this holiday – a Christmas tree.

What you need for drawing

To create a drawing of a Christmas tree using gouache or watercolors, you will need the following:

1. Materials:

• paper (you can choose paper for watercolor painting);
• watercolors or gouache paints;
• brushes of different thicknesses (synthetic or natural, depending on the artist’s preferences);
• palette for mixing paints.

2. Tools:

• a glass of water for wetting brushes and rinsing them during the painting process;
• a simple pencil for sketching preliminary markings;
• eraser (if any changes or clarifications to the drawing occur during the process).

3. Additional accessories (optional):

• masking tape to protect the work surface around the drawing;
• wet wipes for quick design correction.

Adviсe:

• To draw the base of the tree, you need to choose a thin round brush, with which you can draw the trunk and branches. If the artist prefers to work with saturated lines, it is better to take a thick flat brush.
• Also, for the details of the drawing (toys, cones) it will be useful to have a brush with beveled bristles. Universal brushes with a long pointed tip are also needed - they will help to outline the main contours.
• By mixing paints on a palette or tablet, you can create the necessary shades without dirtying the paper, and at the same time control the amount of water and paint on the brush. You can use a regular white plate.

Master classes

First, you need to decide on the size of the future painting, think about the concept and choose a palette (warm or cold shades). Depending on the style, the image may require varying degrees of detail: you will have to work out individual elements in particular detail if you need to give the tree a festive look (toys on the branches, garlands, tinsel).

However, it is important to observe moderation and not to overdo it in the pursuit of photographic accuracy, otherwise the drawing may turn out to be overloaded with unnecessary details.

With rare thin branches in gouache

New Year's tree is a drawing that uses gouache painting technique. This is a paint that goes well on paper and allows you to create interesting and rich colors.

1. Draw a rectangle. Use a soft pencil of medium hardness for this.
2. Draw a triangle in a rectangle. The triangle in the center of the image will represent the future tree top. It will serve as the base for the future tree.
3. Draw approximately 5 diagonal stripes inside the rectangle. These will be the future branches of the future New Year tree.
4. Using short strokes of green, paint the needles on all the branches. This step is done with a flat synthetic brush. You can use gouache of either a bright green or a dark, saturated green shade.
5. Where the branches are wider, make the thickest strokes. There are more needles on thick branches.
6. Based on the large branches, depict smaller ones by drawing short strokes from the trunk to the main branches.
7. Use a thin brown line to mark the stump. Avoid thick lines, it is better to use the sharp tip of a soft pencil.
8. Place a dark yellow 5-pointed star at the top of the triangle. It will symbolize the star that is traditionally used to decorate the tops of Christmas trees.
9. Draw snow in blue under the tree. You can use either liquid or dry pigment, depending on the author's idea. You can create a gradient of blue shades to convey the depth of the snow cover.
10. Draw small red circles on the tree. They will symbolize Christmas tree decorations.
11. Decorate the outline of the tree image with a decorative red frame. For better visual perception, it is recommended to use the darkest shades of red so that the image contrasts with the background.
12. Draw rain on the tree branches in yellow. Similar to point 4, you can use liquid or dry pigments when working.
13. Dry the work without using additional means.
14. Proceed to the image of falling snow. For this, you can use white paint. The most successful technique will be the chaotic application of clear or slightly blurred strokes, which should look like flying snowflakes. This stage should be carried out boldly and quickly, but carefully, to avoid getting white paint on already painted areas. It is important to ensure a variety of sizes and directions of the drawn snowflakes. Do not cover the entire surface of the sheet, as this can distort the perception of the picture.

For falling snow, you can use the spatter technique.

It involves spraying paint with a brush to create a splash and dot effect:

1. Apply a small amount of whitewash or white paint to the palette.
2. Holding the brush perpendicular to the sheet, quickly move it over the drawing: this will create a splash effect. Since the brush is hard, you will get many small dots, forming a snow cover.
3. Gradually fill the entire surface of the sheet with snow.
4. If it is not enough, you can wet the brush a little with water and pick up a new portion of paint. If you overdo it with water, the paint may spread.

Adviсe:

• To avoid mixing shades and distorting the color range, it is better to place layers of different colors on separate areas. Only well-dried previous layers should be used.
• There is no need to place each snowflake strictly in its place - let them fall in random directions, creating an atmosphere of randomness that is characteristic of a real snowfall.
• To prevent the work from spreading, the paper should be slightly moistened in advance by spraying it with a spray bottle. Then the layer of paint will lay down on the sheet more easily. Do not over-moisten the paper. A little water will make it denser: the paint will be absorbed less and will adhere to the surface better.

Gouache with broad strokes

New Year tree is a drawing, the creation of which includes several steps, and in each of them it is necessary to observe technical details and color scheme:

1. Apply bright green strokes to the top edge of the drawing - this will be the top of the tree.
2. Draw the upper branches with emerald and green strokes of varying intensity. This will create the basis for further construction of the image.
3. For the middle and lower branches, use combinations of green, blue and emerald colors. This will help create volume and realism of the image. The branches can be brighter where they touch the background.
4. Adding ochre, burgundy and purple tones to the lower and middle branches will add depth and richness. You don't need to cover the entire outline of the branches at once, apply the color in broad strokes, and leave some of them untouched.
5. Add colorful toys. Use yellow, red, orange and pink shades to give the Christmas tree decorations a unique and festive look. The toys are created by using short strokes, located close to each other, saturating the desired area with color.
6. Add an image of an orange star and white rain. The star is usually located in the center, and the white rain covers the nearest branches.
7. Under the tree, depict the details of the gift wrapping using a combination of yellow, blue and pink colors.
8. Highlight the details of the gifts using ribbons in contrasting colors to the main color scheme.

Adviсe:

• To create broad strokes, it is better to use a flat brush, which will help to make sweeping movements.
• Use a sideboard to mix paints to avoid harsh color boundaries.
• Use a small amount of pigment to avoid excess paint on the brush and accidental stains on the drawing.
• Focus on the overall composition and color harmony to create an attractive and festive image of the New Year tree that conveys the atmosphere of the winter holidays.

From dots with gouache

This pattern can be used as a basis for any version of the tree, creating your own unique patterns, colors and decorations. You can create with various art materials - just replace gouache with watercolors, colored pencils or pastels.

New Year's tree - a drawing on which, following the proposed instructions, you can create an original and bright tree from dots:

1. Draw a rectangle with a simple pencil. This will be the base for the tree.
2. Draw a triangle inside the rectangle on the left. This will be the tree trunk. Use a pencil to draw a horizontal line that denotes the stump. The tree will have a trunk and a crown.
3. Inside the triangle, mark several stripes that will become the basis for the tree branches.
4. Paint the stripes dark yellow. You can use a wide brush to darken the entire surface at once. It is recommended to use one of the popular colors for New Year's compositions - yellow. With its help, a color base will be created for further work.
5. Place 6 red, 9 green, 11 blue and 13 orange circles of different diameters on the lines-branches. When making lines at this stage, try to leave enough space around the upper figure, as other smaller details will be added there. The circles will act as toys, which are usually used to decorate the tree.

   

   

   

6. To make the tree even more attractive, place as many small yellow circles as possible on the entire plane of the drawing. They will become bright decorations.
7. Draw a smaller rectangle in brown. This is how the tree stump is marked.
8. On top of the triangle, use a pencil to draw a small angle - a star. It will crown the New Year tree.
9. Erase the triangle that originally represented the tree trunk with an eraser.
10. Paint the star with dark yellow gouache. This is the final element of the tree decoration.
11. Draw a frame that will give the tree a finished look. You can use bunches of green lines and yellow circles, decorating the edges of the drawing with them. The green line will reflect the artificial spruce needles, and the yellow circles will remind you of holiday toys and individual details of holiday decor.

Adviсe:

• Use a ruler or template to ensure the lines are straight.
• To ensure that your lines are clear and don't smudge, it's important to choose a good, hard pencil and hold it at the right angle to the paper surface.
• For ease of work and to avoid accidental strokes and stains, it is better to take a minimum amount of paint on the brush and remove the excess by drawing along the edge of the palette. This method of toning will allow you to emphasize individual elements of the drawing, but will not distort it or hide important details.
• You can experiment with the sizes and proportions of the elements of the drawing.
• You need to use different shades of the same color, and also try painting with different brushes.

From a triangle with watercolor paints

New Year tree - a drawing, for the creation of which with watercolors, you need to follow these steps:

1. Draw a triangle with a rounded top - this will be the base of the future tree. Add a small triangle at the bottom, which will act as a stump. Add a 5-pointed star on the top of the base. This will create a clear base, set the general appearance and structure of the New Year tree.
2. From the base of the tree, draw stripes of branches in different directions. It is important to carefully work through this stage to give volume to the tree and create the impression of a variety of branches. At this stage, pay attention to the spread of the branches, which should be natural and interesting.
3. Draw the upper thin branches. They should start from the edge of the tree and strive upwards. Draw them in such a way that the lower branches are partially hidden behind the upper ones, creating the effect of volume. However, do not take up all the space with these thinner elements.
4. Draw the lower branches of the tree. They start from the stump and extend downwards and to the sides, but do not diverge much. The main thing is to maintain the natural appearance of the tree.
5. Add toys and decorations to the tree. If the tree is supposed to look elegant and festive, then this step is especially important.
6. To add a New Year's atmosphere and a festive look, apply garlands and beads to the tree. This will give the finished work a finished look.
7. Paint the tree. Using yellow and brown paint, apply elements that will imitate the bark. Using green paint, apply the branches of the tree. Each shade should flow smoothly into another; you cannot use a contrasting palette. This will look unnatural and unattractive. You can experiment with different colors when working on the volumetric sections of the tree. To do this, you can use several shades of the selected color at once to add depth and realism to the tree.

With wide paws with watercolor paints

By following these steps, you can create a colorful and festive Christmas tree design:

1. To ensure that the spruce structure stands steadily, draw the trunk with a straight vertical line on the left, stepping back from the edge of the paper about 5–8 cm. It will serve as the basis for the further drawing.
2. From the top end of the trunk, direct 2 lines to the sides at an angle of approximately 30–45˚. These will be the future branches of the tree. Draw lines upwards by 5–10 cm, and then bend them down a little and connect them to the trunk. Repeat this step symmetrically on the opposite side of the future New Year tree to create a contour of 4 common branches directed in opposite directions.
3. On each of the branches, starting from the top, draw thicker and smaller branches. This creates a beautiful lush texture of the needles. Small branches should not be rounded or straightened, let them follow the contours of the main branch, as this makes the drawing more natural.
4. Choose cold shades and apply gouache to the tree, painting the entire surface completely. No need to draw each needle separately: this way it will only vaguely resemble a real spruce. Blend the paint, creating an overall image.
5. When the paint dries, take a clean brush and add decorative elements - New Year's decorations and snowflakes. For decoration, you can use glitter, which will glare and reflect light, making the drawing more festive and magical.

Without drawing needles and branches with watercolor paints

A New Year tree, a schematic representation of which can become an interesting artistic task, implies a share of conventionality and abstraction. Such a drawing has the potential for developing artistic skills and creativity.

Basic steps to create a Christmas tree:

1. Draw a triangle at the base of the future tree. This will help to maintain the desired shape and proportions of the drawing.
2. Add a square at the bottom of the triangle. The square will be the basis for the future stump. Its sides should be parallel to the sides of the triangle. The corners of the square and triangle should match.
3. Draw several contours for future branches. They should be thin enough to facilitate further work.
4. Use contours to mark the boundaries of the stump outline. The outlines of the stump and the base of the tree should match, as in the case of the corners of a triangle and a square.
5. Draw a star at the very top of the tree. The outer contour of the star should coincide with the upper border of the triangle - this will ensure its proportionality and symmetry.
6. Place small circles on the branches so that they follow their contours and look natural. These circles will represent beads.

   

7. Draw large circles and 12-pointed stars on the branches, which will act as toys. The decorations should be proportional and evenly distributed across the branches.
8. Place images of a sock, a bow, and a lollipop on the tree. Arrange them on the branches. This will make the drawing more festive.
9. Draw small 5-pointed stars - they will symbolize the garland. They should not interfere with other elements.
10. The crosses will act as glitter. Place them in different places of the drawing: on toys, decorations and garland. This will give the drawing a natural shine.
11. Paint the tree in a festive color. Bright green or blue is preferable. It should be rich, pleasant and not too dark. For realism, you can make the color paler closer to the branches, and the shade deeper closer to the base of the drawing. You need to try to make the colors as harmonious and compatible with each other as possible.
12. Remove excess pencil outlines.

Care should be taken to maintain harmony between the elements of the drawing. And even if the New Year tree is depicted in maximum detail, the background should not compete with it for the viewer's attention. A well-thought-out combination of foreground and background will help create a holistic composition.

Video about drawing a Christmas tree

How to paint a Christmas tree with watercolors: