**Welcome!**

My name is Rei Riphaei, and today I’ll be guiding you through the process of drawing stunning winter trees. No winter landscape is complete without them! In this tutorial, we’ll cover how to draw snow-covered spruces, bare deciduous trees, and trees glistening in hoarfrost. Whether you’re a beginner or looking to refine your skills, this step-by-step guide (with a video included) will help you bring the beauty of winter to life in your artwork.

This lesson is quite detailed and might take some time to go through, so I suggest adding it to your favourites so you can easily return to it and study it later.

Let’s get started!

This tutorial works with any version of Clip Studio.

Snow-covered fir

Creating a pen for fir branches

All the brushes created will be attached to the tutorial. You can simply download them and move on to the next tuto section.

1. I want the branches of the fir tree to have soft, slightly blurred outlines, so I’m going to use a basic round pen with variable transparency to create the new brush tip. The transparency depends on how hard you press. See the image below.

2. Create a new layer and make sure to change its Expression color from Color to Gray. Then, draw a short line of dots like this.

3. Hover the cursor over the layer, hold down Ctrl, and left-click to select everything on the layer.

From the main menu, choose Register Material (Image)

Edit -> Register Material -> Image

Give the material a unique name, and copy the name (Ctrl+A, Ctrl+C). Check the box for "use for brush tip shape", select a folder to save it in, paste the copied name into the hashtags (Ctrl+V) to easily find it later, then click OK.

4. Right-click on the pen you just used, select Duplicate Sub Tool..., then click OK.

Go to the settings of the duplicated pen (the wrench icon), open the Brush Tip tab, then go to the Material tab. Click Add Brush Tip Shape, paste the copied name into the search bar (Ctrl+V), and select the newly created tip.

5. Finally, change Angle Dynamics to Random.

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Tutorial on painting a fir tree

Sketch

Draw a straight trunk and outline the droplet-shaped form of the future fir tree. Then, draw a horizontal line slightly below the middle. The branches below this line will point downwards, while those above it will point upwards.

Drawing the basic shape of the fir tree

First, let's focus on the shape of the fir tree without worrying about colour. Add a new layer, fill it completely with black, then add a mask to the layer. Select the mask, press Ctrl+A and press Delete.

Select the mask, as we will be drawing on the mask, not the layer itself.

The preview should look like this:

Now, let’s start drawing the fir tree branches using the pen we just created.

Follow the marked directions to draw the branches. Start from the trunk and work outwards, easing off the pressure at the end of the branches. Stay within the droplet shape.

And don’t forget to include the branches that are facing the viewer.

Create a new layer for the trunk in the same way. Place the Trunk layer beneath the Branches layer.

Let the trunk be slightly uneven, textured.

Create a new layer for the snow in the same way, but fill the layer with white instead of black. Place it above all the other layers.

I’ve changed the Paper color so that the white snow is more visible. Now, let’s move on to drawing the snow caps. Note that the top of the cap has a smooth, rounded shape, while the bottom is uneven and ragged.

Add snow to each fir branch, making sure to include the branches facing the viewer. I’ve indicated the direction of the branches with blue arrows.

For the lower part of the snow caps, I’m using the same pen as for the branches.

If you’re happy with the black-and-white image, you can now move on to colouring.

Colouring

First, determine the angle at which the light rays are falling. Draw an arrow to help you remember.

Now it's time to paint on the layer, not on the mask.

Snow in the shadows typically has shades of blue, violet, and purple. Use the Airbrush tool to colour the snow, making sure to avoid a flat, uniform fill.

Add dark tones of blue and purple to the shadowed areas. Avoid high contrast colors at this step.

In the light, snow can have various shades of white. I’ve chosen a warm yellow tone to contrast with the blue. Now, I’ll use a standard pen, as well as the pen for the branches, both of which have variable transparency. Pay attention to which side of the tree is lit by the sun.

Alright, we’re done with the snow, now let’s move on to the branches.

1. Use the Airbrush to fill in with green.

2. Add shadows with dark green and dark blue using the Airbrush.

3. Use the pen for branches to add detail in green to areas that look too flat/solid.

4. Use the branch pen to add a touch of highlights with a yellow-green colour.

Great! The only thing left to colour is the trunk. The main focus is to give the trunk texture. Keep in mind that the trunk is covered with scales of varying shapes. The older the tree, the rougher its bark.

For colouring the trunk, any shades of brown or brick will work well. You can also add touches of purple and dark red in the shaded areas, with yellow for highlights.

Let’s hide the unnecessary sketch layer, erase any excess, and take a look at the result. On the left is what I’ve created, and on the right is how it might look within the illustration.

[Video Guide] Fir

Deciduous trees in winter

Deciduous trees shed their leaves in winter, leaving behind intricate, bare branches. In this tutorial, we’ll explore how to draw these branches with natural flow and structure. To capture their essence, we’ll break down common branching patterns, paying close attention to the curves of the arcs, the varying thickness of the lines, and the spacing between nodes. By understanding these key details, you’ll be able to create realistic and elegant silhouettes of winter trees. Let’s get started!

Learning patterns

The branches are drawn from one node to the next, with each internode representing a single brushstroke. Be mindful of the pressure you apply throughout the stroke: start with a firm press to create the branch node, ease the pressure slightly in the middle of the branch, and then increase the pressure again towards the end.

Let’s take a closer look at this simple pattern below. The first two strokes are short and thick. The third stroke is much longer and thinner, branching out from the middle of the second stroke. The fourth stroke is short and thin, emerging from the node of the second stroke, with a counterclockwise curve, in contrast to the others.

Repeat this pattern several times before moving on to the next one. Allow your hand to become accustomed to drawing it effortlessly, without having to think about it.

Now, let's examine a more complex pattern consisting of 7 strokes. The first two strokes are short and thick, while the third stroke is noticeably longer and thinner. The direction of the strokes alternates: counterclockwise, clockwise, and counterclockwise again. The fourth and fifth strokes cross each other—this is an important detail. Be sure that the crossed branches looks elegant and don't merge. The sixth stroke is long and thin, extending from the middle of the first stroke. Finally, the seventh stroke is short, starting just above the middle of the third stroke.

Now, let's look at the most complex pattern involving two branches coming from a single node. The first three strokes are thick and short, while the fourth stroke is thick but significantly longer, creating the desired asymmetry. The fifth and sixth strokes are thinner and of medium length. The seventh stroke is essential as it forms a cross with the fourth stroke. Finally, the eighth and ninth strokes are thin and help to complete the composition.

Practice drawing these patterns several times until they become second nature.

Some additional tips in your practice:

• Start slow, then build speed: Take your time in the beginning to ensure accuracy. Once you're comfortable with the pattern, gradually increase your speed to make your strokes more fluid and natural.

• Pay attention to line weight: A key characteristic is that the internodes start thick and gradually become thinner towards the end of the branch.

• Observe real trees: Look at real-life branches to see how they grow. Nature's patterns can give you valuable insight into how to structure your own drawings.

Drawing trees

Study photographs of real trees that you plan to draw. Pay attention to the trunk: is it short or tall, thick or thin, evenly tapered or irregular, smooth or knotted? Observe the shape of the canopy: is it umbrella-like, sprawling, split into two trunks, or something else? Reflect these details in your sketch, outlining the overall shape of the tree with rough strokes—there’s no need to spend too much time at this stage.

Start by drawing the trunk and the main branches.

Gradually add thinner branches, reducing the brush size if necessary to make this easier. Use the patterns discussed earlier when drawing the branches.

Don't Overcrowd: Avoid adding too many branches at once. Keep the composition balanced and leave space for each branch to be clearly visible.

In the final stage, focus on the details—after all, as the saying goes, the devil is in the details. Add buds to the branches, small twigs, knots, tree burls, roots emerging from the ground, and refine the texture of the bark to bring your tree to life.

As you can see, the same patterns can be used to draw different types of trees.

[Video Guide] Bare trees

The second half of the video focuses on frost-covered trees, with the tutorial provided in the next section.

Trees covered in frost

Let’s add a touch of frost to the last tree with the umbrella-shaped crown.

Creating a brush

To achieve this, we’ll create a custom brush that mimics the texture of frost. I’ll use the same colours as for painting the snowcaps: purples and blues for shaded areas and light yellow for the illuminated sections.

Three variations should be sufficient. Save each variation as a separate material. Then, create a new brush and add all three materials. In the Angle Dynamics section, check the Random box. Adjust the Random value to your liking—feel free to experiment.

Modify the Brush Size Dynamics settings according to the screenshot below (the Tilt parameter is optional).

In the Stroke section, set the Repeat Method to Random. This will alternate the materials randomly as you draw.

Test the brush and experiment with the Brush Size Dynamics settings for Pen Pressure and Random to see what works best.

Frost Application

Now it’s time to start painting!

Create a new layer and name it Frost.

Use your new frost brush to paint over the thin branches at the top of the tree’s crown. Avoid covering the trunk or thicker branches.

For added depth, include a few branches pointing toward the viewer (marked in red in the example).

Adding a Glow Effect

To create a glowing effect for the frost hover over the Frost layer and click to select it. Without deselecting, create a new layer and apply a layer mask.

Set the Blending Mode to Glow Dodge, Color Dodge, or Add Glow, depending on the desired effect.

Switch the selection from the mask to the canvas. Use the Airbrush tool to lighten the outer edges of the crown.

Highlight the tops of the branches pointing toward the viewer with the Airbrush tool. Adjust the layer’s opacity if needed to refine the effect.

Painting the Trunk

The final step is to paint the tree trunk. Remember that tree bark isn’t uniform—think of it as a texture made up of scales of varying shapes.

Be sure to add snow at the base of the trunk for a finishing touch. And there you have it—a beautifully frosted winter tree!

[Video Guide] Frost

Please note that the tutorial on drawing a frost-covered tree begins at 4:38 in this video.

Winter bushes

After coniferous and deciduous trees that you can add to your illustration, but I’d also like to say a few words about bushes, which can bring a sense of liveliness to your artwork. They’re simple to draw and easy to incorporate into your composition, requiring minimal time and effort.

Using the patterns discussed in Section 2, I’ll create a brush with branches and demonstrate how you can use just this one brush to create a simple winter background.

Creating a Simple Brush for Bushes

Draw the branches using the patterns. Create a few simple branches pointing upwards. Four or five will be enough. Try to make the branches diverse in shape while maintaining a consistent style throughout.

Register materials: Save each branch as a separate material.

Create a new brush: Name it Branches and add all four materials to the Brush Tip > Material tab.

Adjust angle dynamics: Check the Random box under Angle Dynamics and set the value to around 10–20. This allows the branches to rotate slightly within a 10–20 degree range without flipping upside down.

Adjust brush size dynamics: Check the Random box under Brush Size and set the value to 80. This will make the branch sizes vary up to 20%. Avoid values below 50, as it may result in overly thin, indistinct branches that don’t look good visually.

Set stroke repeat method: Go to Stroke > Repeat Method and select Random.

Putting The Brush into Practice

Creating a Simple Background

Paint the snowfield: cover the ground with shades of white and purple. The centre of the field should appear lighter than the background and foreground. Add shadows for trees and snowdrifts.

Use a blending tool to smooth the transitions. Tools like Blur by Fiber, Painterly Blender, or Textured Blender work well.

Select the Branches brush and use a dark colour that matches the tone of the background.

Fill the back of the snowfield with dense bushes, leaving minimal gaps.

Rotate the canvas slightly to arrange the bushes in a semi-circular shape.

On a new layer above the previous one, use a lighter purple colour to place 2–3 bushes in the central part of the field.

On another new layer, use a white colour to add larger bushes to the foreground. You can slightly increase the brush size for these bushes.

Add finishing touches. Blur the background slightly for depth. Erase any extra branches that seem out of place.

 

 

Add shadows for the newly placed bushes.

Can you feel how this added depth and space to your illustration, even though it only took a few minutes?

To complete the scene, let’s add some clouds. I used the Coniferous Branches brush and then blended them using tools like Blur by Fiber and Finger Tip.

And that’s it! Here’s the winter landscape I ended up with.

[Video Guide] Bushes

[Brushes] Download Link

As promised, I’ve included all the brushes made for this tutorial. Feel free to download and use them!

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And that’s it for this tutorial! I hope you’ve enjoyed learning how to draw a variety of winter trees, from snow-covered evergreens to frosty branches and even simple shrubs for your background. We’ve explored techniques for creating depth, using custom brushes, and adding those little details that bring a winter landscape to life.

Remember, the key to improvement is practice. Experiment with the techniques and patterns we’ve covered, and don’t be afraid to add your personal touch to your illustrations.

Thank you for reading! If you found this tutorial helpful, feel free to share your creations or ask any questions in the comments—I’d love to see what you come up with. Until next time, happy drawing!