Cherry blossom trees are famous for the amazing colors that adorn them. Also known as ‘Sakura’ in Japan, these beautiful trees have inspired artists all over the world to try and capture their magnificence on paper or canvas. That being said, painting cherry blossoms might seem difficult to you, because it sure did seem hard to me, which is why I went scouring for the best tutorials on how to paint cherry blossom trees. And luckily enough, I was able to list down some of the best ones I came across.
To bring out its true beauty, you can paint a cherry blossom tree in 5 different ways. You can use watercolors, acrylics, oil pastels, oil painting, or even go digital and paint a cherry blossom tree on your computer. Irrespective of the type of painting, you need to ensure that you’re using the proper technique, and coloring approach to bring your artwork into life.
When your eyes are drawn to the sight of a majestic cherry blossom tree, you’ll be thrilled by the sheer complexity of colors that gives this tree its gracefulness. Yet, behind this curtain of complex color combinations, there lies a simplicity in the cherry blossom tree’s aesthetics, that’s kind of poetic in nature. In this video tutorial, the artist, Jay Lee, captures this simplicity with absolute perfection as he carefully uses a combination of watercolor, acrylics, and cotton swabs to craft his masterpiece. This is one of the simplest interpretations of a cherry blossom tree, and with a little bit of effort, you can create something equally amazing, just like Lee’s work below.
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At first glance, this tutorial by artist Leonardo might seem a bit difficult. But once you try it out by yourself, you’ll realize how easy it is. Basically, the artist uses brushes to splatter the watercolors onto his canvas. It’s a simple process, but requires plenty of care. To top things off, Leonardo uses watercolors and gentle brush strokes to create the tree’s trunk and branches. The result of all this, is a beautiful pink cherry blossom tree.
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This is another tutorial by Jay Lee where instead of using both acrylics and watercolors, the artist opts for just acrylic paints. The approach is same as the previous tutorial, only this time, he is using a black painted canvas to paint the sakura. The pitch black background really helps to elevate the pink and white colors of the cherry blossom. Lee does an amazing work with the details as well, making the paining look lifelike.
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This tutorial by Feliks is an expert’s guide on how to create, not just a cherry blossom tree, but a well detailed landscape to go with it. This painting is a brilliant example of how amazing cherry blossoms look in nature, when they blend in with their surroundings. Feliks deserves a lot of credit for this tutorial, given that he’s able to paint something so magnificent while guiding his viewers along the way. Just look at his breathtaking work below, and stare with wonder as to how something so beautiful can be created on a piece of canvas.
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This is one of the easiest cherry blossom painting tutorials you’ll come across, where Ema uses watercolors and simple brush strokes to paint a plain and uncomplicated cherry blossom tree. There's nothing fancy about this particular artwork. If you’re a complete beginner, you’ll feel very comfortable with this tutorial. It would’ve looked even better if the artist used a few more color shades. But given how this tutorial is targeted towards absolute beginners, it can be overlooked.
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Among all the digital cherry blossom painting tutorials, this one is by far the simplest. In this tutorial, you’ll get to see how to draw a cherry blossom branch using an iPad, an Apple Pencil, and the Procreate app. The artist uses the app’s in-built watercolor palette to create this piece. The tutorial itself is very detailed with step-by-step guidelines on how you should proceed. If you’re new to digital painting, this tutorial is perfect for you.
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Unlike acrylics or watercolors, oil paints contain a higher amount of pigment, giving oil paintings a more vivid outlook. This tutorial shows the artist use a palette knife and oil paints to create a vivid painting of a cherry blossom branch. As expected from the oil paints, the colors are quite sharp and helps the painting to sort of pop-out. You’ll be amazed to see how this artwork looks so beautiful despite not being very detailed. That’s mostly due to the use of oil paints. Take a look below, and judge for yourself.
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This video tutorial aimed at beginner to intermediate level digital artists shows you how to use Adobe Photoshop and create a stunning cherry blossom landscape. Just like the painting itself, the tutorial is very detailed and put together in an elegant manner. The use of pink and white shades really helps to give this painting a lifelike appeal. It’s as if you were physically present in a cherry blossom forest in Japan during spring – it’s just that beautiful.
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This step-by-step tutorial by Paint Academy takes you through the process of creating a colorful cherry blossom tree with the help of oil pastels. The approach to this painting is very easy and involves no complex color combinations or styles. It’s a simple piece of art that’s made to look a bit sophisticated through the proper use of shades. Given how using oil pastels can lead to messy outcomes, the artist is very careful and takes their time in creating this beautiful artwork, which you can find below.
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In this exciting video tutorial, you’ll get to see how an artist brings a picture to life through oil painting. It’s absolutely baffling as to how a painting can resonate so much more realism than an actual picture. But as you’ll notice in the tutorial, as well as in the painting below, the artist does a magnificent job in portraying reality through their exquisite work of art. This painting could be one of the hardest things you’ve ever attempted. But given how detailed the tutorial is, you’ll surely be able to grasp the key points, and do an amazing job painting it as well.
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My husband and I are learning how to draw and paint. We wanted to share this learning process with the world and have fun! That's why we created this blog. We'll have drawing contests every week and you'll decide who won that week! Follow along and learn with us!
Jimena & Iñigo
The Navarro-Rubios
My husband and I are learning how to draw and paint. We wanted to share this learning process with the world and have fun! That's why we created this blog. We'll have drawing contests every week and you'll decide who won that week! Follow along and learn with us!
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