* * * PAINTING OUR TREES * * *

1. Add a new layer and name it "tree 1".

2. Change your foreground color to "tree 1" and your background color to "tree 2".

3. Click on your Paintbrush tool; click on the Preset button and choose the preset "Snow".

4. Change the Size to 15.

5. Paint a shape for a tree at the left side of your bridge, as shown below (we want the tree to be leaning down to the water):

6. Change your foreground color to "tree 3" and your background color to "tree 4".

7. Touch here and there on your trees to add highlights (I found that by switching between my left and right mouse buttons and using small circular strokes, I could get nice highlights without changing colors):

8. Add a new layer and name it "tree 2".

9. Using the same method, add a tree on the right side of your bridge:

10. Add a new layer and name it "tree trunks". Right click on this layer and choose "Arrange/Move Down" (do this twice) to place it beneath your "tree 1" layer.

11. Change your foreground color to "tree 5".

12. Click on your Paintbrush with the following settings:

Shape: Round
Size: 3
Hardness: 50
Step: 1
Density: 100
Thickness: 30
Rotation: 0
Opacity: 100
Blend mode: Normal
Stroke: Continuous UNchecked
Wet look paint: UNchecked

13. Using your tree shapes as guides, paint the trunks for your trees.

14. Change your foreground color to "tree 6".

15. Change the size on your Paintbrush to 1 and paint some highlights.

16. Use your Smudge Brush (set to size 5) to blend the colors (you may have to zoom in on your image while working this part):

17. Merge your "tree 1", "tree 2" and "tree trunks" layers and rename this merged layer "trees".

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