To draw a tree in GIMP is fun and easy. The great thing about trees is that each one looks different, so your options are quite wide. Here’s how you can make a tree from scratch using GIMP.

How to Draw a Tree in GIMP

Our reference here is this digital tree element from the exclusive Wonderland kit from Digidesignresort’s Sunset Scrapper Club. It doesn’t have to look exactly like this. This is just so we know what we’re trying to achieve.

You can increase each image by clicking on it so you can easily see all settings used.

So let’s get started. First, open a new 1024×768 image. make sure that it is in portrait form.

Open a new transparent layer. Click on the Paintbrush tool. Choose a brown color. Use the Hardness 100 brush, adjust its size to around 20 px, and make sure to put a check mark on Smooth Stroke. Now enlarge your image so you can paint with a closer view. Draw lines downward to create the trunk. Remember, it does not have to be perfect.

Change the FG color to a lighter shade of brown.

Paint the lighter brown color into the middle of the trunk. Change the FG color to white, adjust the brush size to 10 px, and then add highlights on the trunk.

Click on the Smudge tool and adjust the brush size to around 30 px. Smudge in a downward direction to blend the colors together. Notice how your trunk now looks like it was oil painted.

Add darker shades of brown on the side, if you want, to create depth.

Now, let’s move on to the top of the trunk. Change the FG color to a deep green color.

Open a new transparent layer. Click on the Paintbrush tool, choose the Splats 01 brush, adjust the brush size to around 600 px and paint until it looks like this. Make sure to leave some space at the top so that the top of your tree is not a straight edge. This here is just an example so pardon the straight edge at the top.