How to paint birch trees, branches and bark! A basic speed painting tutorial of a birch tree

Today we paint a birch tree in a calm green forest. This is an acrylic painting lesson.
You can find my book on the essentials of acrylic painting here:
www.etsy.com/ca/listing/49623...
Here is my facebook as well, I post a fair amount of my work here.
10MinutePain...
This tutorial is for beginners and the steps within the video are broken down into very simple instructions. This tutorial will cover: bark, tree branches, layering, which brushes to use, the techniques required to accomplish everything listed above and more.
I painted this fairly basic birch tree with white and black but remember you don't have to use an achromatic color scheme! green, brown or blue are also options depending upon the environment! In this beginners speed painting tutorial I am using acrylic paint, if you're using oil paint you shouldn't have a problem, in fact, the tree may turn out even better due to the added texture. I hope this helps teach you and you enjoy! If you have any questions feel free to ask!\
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[@paulinehughes5325]

Very helpful Ryan your trees have life in them!

[@kellywatts1123]

Great tutorial. You made it seem so easy. Thank you.

[@pilotsmother]

I have been waiting for a tutorial like this! Thanks, and I may attempt this!

[@megaman7635]

Beautiful painting. Thank you for sharing some of your techniques.

[@sallyfalkenhagen6063]

Thank you, your specific descriptions really help people like me, who are just getting started!

[@Mamaosa63]

Thank you again Ryan. I appreciate you sharing your tutorials. I am learning well.

[@suetoft8677]

Superb! Thank you so much, I'm inspired by your detailed techniques and can't wait to get started.

[@Darlene5541]

Awesome and so helpful!!! Thanks Ryan:D

[@sandracollie302]

Wonderful tutorial, you are a perfect instructor!

[@sammyl2071]

Your videos are the BEST. Thanks so much for sharing them.

[@wendygliddon3350]

Such a good tutorial, thank you for sharing your talent, I can’t wait to put it to use!

[@marleneleeson5475]

My gawd.....your instructions are wonderful! Thank you for sharing your technique.

[@MsSouthern2U]

This is exactly the kind of instruction I needed! It's always touching to see someone share their talent freely with others for the mere joy of teaching. Thanks for the tutorial. I am a beginner and need all the help I can get. I appreciate your style and work.

[@johnuribe6968]

Your painting tutorials are really helpful and I learn a lot I spend hours on hours watching your videos lol you're really helpful on my journey to become a creative artist!

[@angelinadupre8759]

I have watched literally THOUSANDS of tutorials, and this was, by far, the very best! You not only gave an excellent verbal description of every move you made, but you SLOWLY, (why does nobody else think about going slowly?), demonstrated every move you made!!! I SINCERELY hope you will do more. Thank you very much, and once again, VERY WELL DONE!!! Thank you. Thank you, Thank you!!!!

[@RyanORourkeArtist]

That is extremely kind of you! Thank you!

[@angelamaxwell59]

Thanks so much for this I really love birch trees!

[@waynewhalley3852]

angela maxwell yr

[@jeanicehays1019]

Very good and easy to understand. Thank you. You do great work.

[@easyeminitrade]

Awesome tutorial. I used this technique in a paining I was working on and it turned out way better than I could have imagined. I appreciate you taking the time to do this video!

[@aicragyllor]

Great tutorial. I will definitely try this! Thank you!

[@JoansJunkJournalsAndMore]

Thank you for this easy tutorial. I just started painting this June/July and studying birch trees as one day hope to do a Huge painting for my living room of them. You totally made this so clear how to do, thank you.

[@cynthiabutler4273]

Thank you I was stumbling on my branches this really helped.

[@nicolebarry8341]

Hi Ryan Just watched one for the first time and want to thank you! Wonderful job going slowly and thoroughly. Please keep them coming!

[@moniquerenard4510]

i just loved your birch tree. thank you ,i learne so much.

[@tatjanabaker3521]

Thank you! You demonstrated this with brilliant simplicity! Wow! Well done! In fact, your video is the best tutorial, for painting Birch, that I’ve seen (20+).

[@RyanORourkeArtist]

Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed it :)

[@dougross9977]

That was awesome...thank you for sharing

[@liliacambra7725]

Thank you....I've learned so much from this tutorial, I can't wait to see more

[@hildapeterson848]

I very much appreciated and enjoyed your tutorial. Well done.

[@patricia8889]

I love your videos Ryan, your teaching skills are So very well done, love the clarity and the results are wonderful. Thank ;you I really enjoy your videos and your paintings are beautiful .

[@missvanessa7511]

Love your work and videos, it's really getting me into painting again which I love ❤

[@katearinaralz]

I just discovered your work and just love what you are doing. Thank you so much for sharing. As a beginner I'm grateful and inspired.

[@RyanORourkeArtist]

+katearinaralz It's my pleasure :)

[@paulavetter4492]

Excellent! It's so nice to find someone who actually teaches slowly and methodically with clear explanations as to why. Beautiful painting!

[@loissutch6589]

Loved your video....hope I can do this....certainly will try. Ty

[@belladonna569]

What a fantastic tutorial, I found this so helpful. thank you very much!

[@RyanORourkeArtist]

+belladonna569 Thank you for watching!

[@humbertovieira4619]

This was a wonderful tutorial, easy to understand and very well explained. Thank you for sharing. Keep it up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@RyanORourkeArtist]

+Humberto Vieira New videos coming soon! Thank you for the support!

[@bluesky6028]

Your explanation is so detailed ! Perfect for beginners like me. Thanks so much!

[@RyanORourkeArtist]

Thank you!

[@edbishop9378]

I paint landscapes and have been trying trees this is very helpful . I like it .

[@madeheavenlyheavenlymade2928]

thank u I learn more keep up the goid work u r really helping and I enjoy watching it

[@myrnacourtney658]

Absolutely wonderful tutorial. Paced well, audible, knowledgeable. I appreciate that everything you say has to do with the painting. Will be subscribing. Thank you!

[@RyanORourkeArtist]

Welcome to the channel :)

[@jeanneduncan3522]

Loved it. Thank u Ryan 🙏🏻

[@wiseman007100]

JUST CAME ACROSS UR VIDS.....AWESOME WORK BRO!!!!! BRAVO!!!

[@RyanORourkeArtist]

+MASTER ARTIST W.K.L Big thanks!!

[@wiseman007100]

+Ryan O'Rourke - Artist ur very welco .

[@kooterkat1]

I loved this tutorial .i too love birch trees. Thank you ...you are a great teacher

[@RyanORourkeArtist]

+Sherry Neima Thank you for the kind words Sherry :)

[@paulaogier4685]

Thanks so much, Ryan. This was so well explained. I'm a digital painter, so my techniques will be modified to suit that medium, but this was still really helpful and easy to follow.

[@jouniehsun]

the very best ever I have watched thanks for sharing

[@mibeka1]

Very good job, Ryan. I want to try this.

[@jeanmarie4116]

Oh My Gosh you are so GOOD...!! This is just what I was looking for... I also have watched many other tutorials & none are like how you do it. You are meticulous in your teaching, going slow, going over what you did, giving diagrams..!! And you also give reference to what people may already know. I started my birch trees off with white & grey & was then going to add the detail..You started off with a dark tree & added the white lines with a scruffy brush!!! You have made my life so much easier....Thank you..Thank you...Thank you......Now--do you have a video that shows how those lovely leaves are painted..?? I'm doing the first tree with many leaves & some will be up close & prominent, while the others will be in the background with highlights from the sky of pink, orange, & blue....Wonderful job, Ryan....

[@davebeckstead5001]

Great video. This is exactly what I needed. Thank you.

[@RyanORourkeArtist]

Glad it was helpful!

[@chrisdaly4341]

thank you this is great. I am going to try it now.

[@benderman49]

Great tutorial, thank you!

[@tapasbdrc]

beautiful lesson. Thank u very much

[@Nova-et1mt]

I love the way you take your time to explain every detail. You motivate me to keep painting :D

[@RyanORourkeArtist]

Butterfly I actually really appreciate that comment. I often worry that perhaps I spend too much time explaining the little parts.. However, I do want to ensure absolutely everyone can follow along and achieve exactly what they want, regardless of their current skill level.. So I guess it’s worth it? I hope so anyway.

[@Nova-et1mt]

Its obsoletely worth it! Im a self taught artist and the explanations and tips you give is highly appreciated. :)

[@Nova-et1mt]

Sorry I meant absolutely

[@RyanORourkeArtist]

+Butterfly It's no worry at all, I really appreciate the comment :)

[@sundayfunday2004]

Very nice. Thank you for sharing! You are an awesome guy!

[@RyanORourkeArtist]

+rj Thanks RJ!

[@christinaekman6321]

very good rending of the birch , knots were explained

[@susanrobinson5823]

Fantastic tutorial thanking you!

[@nadjanisekarsatiti1337]

Thanks Ryan..you are amazing..

[@RyanORourkeArtist]

Thank you!!

[@TheFinix0007]

DUDE THIS IS THE BEST.....THANK FOR SHARING YOU TALENT GOD BLESS YOU

[@RyanORourkeArtist]

:)

[@kathil.1711]

I just found you. Nice job. And, your run on sentences evidence that you are perfectly imperfect! Perfectionism is fear in a dress, and you look better without one.

[@jude1515]

Beautiful!

[@beschratz]

Very nice. Thanks Ryan.

[@darylwinn5710]

Hi Ryan. I am a beginner I guess. I used to paint with oils years ago and I lost interest in it. Now, I have gotten back into painting but I'm using acrylics this time. I love your videos. They are simple enough for beginners like me. I have always wanted to know how to paint Birch Trees and here is a video telling me how to do it. Thank you so much.

[@UmaMaheswari-xx8ti]

Looks easy. I'll try it

[@cliffethanxu2024]

this video is really old, nice painting btw. BIG FAN

[@gailgassen8670]

I really like your tutorial here. I also love that tree. Aspens, or birch trees are at the top of my favorite trees, they share that with the sugar Maples. They both are magnificent in the fall. I love all your tutorials, you do a wonderful job teaching & making a person understand! Going to have to put this on my "Paintings I want to do" list. This is just gorgeous! Actually I have a lot of your paintings on that list.. 👍🏻 wishing you all the best, please don't stop your wonderful videos! Thank you!

[@RyanORourkeArtist]

That is very kind of you, Gail! I hope you find some time this fall to get some painting done. It's such an inspiring time of year.

[@fightingmad08]

Wonderful tutorial!

[@RyanORourkeArtist]

Thanks!

[@jeffwhite9328]

this is the birch tree from Halloween! Kidding

[@RyanORourkeArtist]

+Jeff White Haha well at this point it is seasonally appropriate! ;)

[@user-nz8oc7pj5g]

Very detail. Now I understand.

[@theteensbydrsonia]

Great to watch , thanks

[@martinfrench1325]

Very helpful & informative

[@nvrsrndr4604]

really like your channel, Nice work and I have tuned in and really enjoyed it.

[@32187jm]

thanks so much going to try this tonight. I am just self learning here on you tube. this is great.

[@RyanORourkeArtist]

+jeanette milian I find myself using youtube for most everything as well, it's a wonderful resource. I hope the painting goes well!

[@wandazuk2646]

Very helpful Thank you.

[@vickienicholson1963]

Wonderful job

[@SuperMamadukes]

Love this, I'm painting a birch tree

[@johnblandin]

This video was awesome I am incorporating it with my sea glass artThank you

[@RyanORourkeArtist]

Wonderful :)

[@cherylvanderlaan2734]

Very helpful Thank you

[@FreeSpiritinLove]

Great tutorial. Thank you. New subscriber!

[@Jaazzful]

great work.

[@juliarobertson9690]

very well done!

[@crmoss1212]

Love

[@RyanORourkeArtist]

Happy to hear it, thanks for stopping by!

[@MrVALEN69]

fenomenal,artista

[@minnakaushik1924]

was wonderful

[@bonitaeasterling6956]

very helpful .

[@maryellenlemelin6942]

Thanks so much for sharing. I’m creating a birch tree on wood and I think it’s looking ok Was just curious of making knots in tree. Cheers

[@okbadz8649]

nice work

[@evelisanatasha433]

you're awesome!

[@1homemademom]

awesome i watched a year ago and i get it so much more now really cool very confident i can do it now !

[@RyanORourkeArtist]

It's wonderful when that happens!

[@ericrussell622]

Outstanding lesson!! I really enjoyed it. I have never worked in acrylic, but I think I can translate most of this into oil. Wish I had a little more detail on the colors you used in the background. Great Job!!

[@RyanORourkeArtist]

+eric russell If you're working with oils I would use Orange Hue to layer the base, with a little bit of your preferred vibrant yellow at the top. Then I would add a fairly see through layer of sap green over the bottom and slowly work my way up, creating a gradient. I would then mix something close to a black with French Ultramarine Blue and Burnt Umber, again applying it to the bottom and working my way up. From there it would just be a matter of re-applying glazes with orange and green. I hope that helps a little bit!

[@ericrussell622]

+Ryan O'Rourke - Artist Thank you. You just planned out my weekend for me!! Can't wait to get started.

[@NoahJohnson1810]

THANKS!

[@louisemcintosh1955]

Thank you so much. I learned a lot and can't wait to try your advice. Only one thing I would mention is that there was a shadow on your painting because you had a bright light behind you. It would help if your light source was coming from a different angle. Thank you.

[@RyanORourkeArtist]

I'm glad you enjoyed :) You will also be pleased to find that I have since fixed my (honestly incredibly poor) lighting setup. No more shadows!

[@janischandler460]

Awesome

[@sheilaharvey1700]

awesome

[@roulwil]

Thank you!

[@dinn4089]

Heel mooi thanks it is beautiful

[@katherinesabelko8531]

This was refreshing to watch. I must admit that my birch tree work has been sloppy with just dragging my white across the side. I never really approached the idea of the light coming from directly behind the trees. I expected that you would hit it with a cream/yellow wash at the end but I do like the starkness of the main tree. Great video

[@RyanORourkeArtist]

+Katherine Sabelko Haha, I still do that from time to time. If you're working with a lot of texture or, on a very small tree, just adding the white across the side can be effective. The intent was to do a final wash, however, the tutorial was already quite long and I figured doing a wash deserved it's own general video.. which I am yet to get to. I probibly should have included it lol. Thank you.

[@BADBRYZ]

THANKS! You should be as popular as mr. k. hill. This tutorial is very helpful!

[@RyanORourkeArtist]

+Bryan Paul I love Kevin's work!

[@Stephenbernerart]

thanks ryan

[@fotara]

Nice 👍

[@gypsygirl731]

this is pretty good real istic looking i just want to paint birch trees on a gray wall i have as a focal wall. i thought i could just paint the trees white soft dryish brush strokes with black knots as the wall is gray so im sure some of the gray will show thru the trees. i like the bright white accent of pieces of bark. i cant do all this on the focal wall i need to simplify it

[@KaBArtStudioStLeonard]

nice work! :)

[@RyanORourkeArtist]

KaB Art Studio Thank you! I enjoyed watching you create your recent lion piece!

[@KaBArtStudioStLeonard]

Ryan O'Rourke - Artist Hehe thank you! :)

[@punampunam3160]

super......

[@toddadams6704]

Ryan! Hi there.... I want to say, first of all: You are an exceptionally talented artist w a (seemingly), exceptionally, grateful & humble, attitude! So, 👍! Bless your heart😂😉😇😅👼💜. I'm, Grace, I was born and raised here Alabama.... yay😕! So, be assured that I am being sincere when I say "Bless Your Heart💖"! My fiancé, (Todd) bless his heart, has taken on a project of EPIC proportions in the tiny, add on, bathroom, downstairs @ my mother's house! & it involves painting a, beautiful, floaty, almost "whispy", silvery white/pearlescent, Japanese cherry tree, complete with those, ethereal, PINK, and white, blossoms that float around like butterflies wings in the wind before they land in, silent, beautiful, piles of, dainty, pink, ballet shoes!!! (did you like that? it just came to me!) 😁I'm starting to do what you did on your video w the, rambling, thing! lmao! ADD and shamelessly so!