PALM TREE SAND DUNE
painting tutorialHow to paint palm trees and sand dune
Lately I have been painting in a series of 4 small gouache paintings with a common theme. Each series is painted on one half sheet of watercolor paper. My first series is from Ft Lauderdale Beach.

Tips and techniques
Below is a art time-lapse video of a beach sand dune with palm trees. This is painted in gouache and watercolor paint. Number 4 in a series of paintings of the beach. All series paintings are done in gouache paint on watercolor paper. Be sure to follow my YouTube channel for painting tips!
sketch
I usually start all paintings with a light pencil sketch. I am working on Arches 140lb cold-pressed watercolor paper. Focusing on composition as I am work on 6 different scenes with a single theme. To help with the composition I often use grey markers to add value to a small sketch done on paper. With a value sketch I can see if the overall composition is interesting.
mood
Most of my paintings start with a light wash. If you notice in the beginning of the video I have a warm orange wash over the entire scene. I added darker paint where the palm trees and dune shadows are located. This beginning wash can set the mood of a painting.
Color
Using a pretty basic list of colors for this small painting I try not to use too many colors. Try to mix colors with paint already on your palette. This creates a continuity to the scene.
- naples yellow
- marigold yellow
- turquioise blue
- ultramarine blue
- winsor violet
- raw umber
- linden green
- white
The colors are Winsor & Newton brand of Designers Gouache paint
conclusion
As you can see from my work I am close to the beach and I love to paint coastal scenes. Paint your favorite subject matter in a series of small paintings. In no time at all you will learn what to do as you are painting to create a pleasing scene. Above all, experiment with these small paintings
Leave a comment below with any painting questions, thanks.
Very interested in learning how to draw people and paint with watercolor.
Hi Eileen, I am offering private lessons right now. You can contact me at email: pj@pjcookartist.com
Thank you