Continuing work on The Tree. I had considered carving bark texture into the putty but decided it was probably more work than it was worth. Instead, I did a quick sanding over the main trunk with 60 grit sandpaper. This removed the obvious smoothness and provided a nice texture. I also cleaned up any excess putty from around the roots.
Diane says most trees are more grey than brown, and when I was out today I noticed what she was talking about. :D
I started with an undiluted mix of Neutral Grey and Traditional Burnt Umber, both by Americana. This initial dark coat of paint really brought the tree to life!
The branches twist and turn just like the real thing. I stippled the paint on to create additional texture which you can see here on the branches.
I think the lower trunk and root structure turned out great! :D
The next few steps were messy, so I didn’t take photos throughout. I did my second coat of paint with an undiluted mix of Asphaltum and Neutral Grey by Americana, with a dash of black. It darkened the tree too much. I followed that with a heavily diluted wash of Traditional Burnt Umber. It made the tree too brown. I followed that with a heavily diluted wash of Neutral Grey and Traditional Burnt Umber (like my first coat of paint), and that seemed to set things right. All these layered washes bring out a depth not achieved with a single application of regular paint.
On some of the bare portions, I scraped away where branches have fallen from the tree during its lifetime.
Some I made larger than others, carving out an actual hole.
I then painted these individually to darken them. Now, if I wanted it to look like the village just came through to trim the trees along the street, I could have left them. :D
I love the texture on this tree! I am so pleased with the results.
Love, love, love it!
And, like any good haunted tree, you should be able to see faces in it. :O
The tree will remain dormant for now, until I get to the landscaping part. I need to finish up the interior and shingle the roof first. I don’t need to be reaching over a tree trying to work! :D
Update: foliage added here.
