Blocking in Tree Shapes in Oils

Drama can be created in tree shapes by observing what the darkest values are first. What color is the value? Is the scene bathed in warm light? Warm light produces cool shadows and cool light produces warm shadow. This will help make color choices in the first “washes” of thinned darks blocked in as an underpainting to the tree shapes. Once the darks are blocked in it gives much more freedom with brush-work to get creative with the mid-values and lights.
We all handle oil pigment in our own “signature” style. There is no “right’ way to apply paint, however consider varying the edges of paint daubs. Sometimes they can be blended, however watch overdoing it! Sometimes they can be isolated puzzle pieces but are there opportunities to let texture such as dragging the brush break up the “sameness” of your work. Remember contrasts in texture, color, direction, edges, value, sizes and shapes.