Tree Painting Demo: Forest in the Style of Klimt
Sunday April 5, 2009
Mention the painter Gustav Klimt and people are more likely to think of paintings with gold leaf such as The Kiss or Hope II, rather than paintings of forests and trees. But Klimt was also a painter of landscapes. My favorites are his moody paintings of forests or groups of trees. The painting in this step-by-step demo was inspired by Klimt's forest paintings and a pine forest in a nature reserve near to where I once lived. Although as this reference photo shows, it's dominated by dark tree trunks and a bright forest floor covered in dead pine needles, it was just a starting point, and the final painting ended up far more of an autumnal forest. Take a look...
See Also:
• Using Gold Leaf in a Painting Like Klimt
• Top Tips for Landscape Painting
• Free Reference Photos for Artists: Trees
Image © Marion Boddy-Evans. Licensed to About.com, Inc
Comments
Having seen the gallery of Klimt’s paintings, I am very impressed and want to learn more about his work. It inspires me to look at and paint nature in a new way. Thanks.
It’s hard to reconcile the Klimt who used so much gold leaf in some of his non-landscape paintings with the Klimt who painted such moody forests! Just goes to show that one doesn’t have to stick to only one style of painting or subject.