A birch tree looks equally as breathtaking painted on a wall as it does in real life, standing out from its background in bright white. Strips of painter’s tape produce a stencil or guideline for the paint, or skip them entirely and paint the tree freehand, if you feel comfortable doing this. Study images of actual birch trees and sketch some on paper to hone in on the tree basic shape and attributes.
Move all furniture and rugs at least a few feet away in the project area. Wipe the wall clean with a duster or dust cloth to remove loose debris.
Pick an ideal location for your own tree on a wall. If creating just one tree, position it to one side for a stunning effect that draws attention, rather than centered on the wall. For over one tree, choose several random locations on the wall, in different widths. Tear a sheet of painter’s tape a few inches long and position it vertically on the wall at shoulder height, marking the border of one side of the tree. Tear additional small strips to continue assembling the edge for a single side of the tree — using small strips creates a more natural look than one completely straight piece of tape. Use a stepladder to reach the areas nearest the ceiling, and cover the ceiling with strips of painter’s tape across the whole project area to safeguard it.
Tear another strip of tape a few inches long, positioning it in the desirable location for another side of the tree, as broad or narrow as you like. Continue tearing small strips of tape and also constructing the next side of the tree before the tree-trunk outline is created. If you wish to put in a branch or two, make a branch outline at the exact same style with small strips of tape, then remove the tape where the branch and trunk meet. Use a craft knife, if necessary, to slice away the tape.
Put a dropcloth on the floor in front of the project wall. Cover the baseboards and any other areas you would like to protect with painter’s tape.
Open the white latex paint and then stir it with a paint stir stick. Pour some of the paint into a paint tray.
Dip a paintbrush into the paint from the tray, wiping excess off on the side of the tray. Paint the whole tree area between strips of tape, containing divisions. Re-dip the paintbrush into the paint as needed. Enable the paint to dry completely. Apply a second coat if you prefer a thick, opaque finish, or abandon it as-is in case you enjoy the paint opacity how it is.
Squirt some charcoal grey acrylic craft paint — or your initial background wall color — onto a paper plate. Dip a artist’s brush into the paint and include thick, chunky lines at an angle on either side of the tree trunk to emulate the look of an actual birch tree. Have a picture of a birch tree handy to refer to for ideas. Continue adding lines randomly from either side of the tree until you prefer how it looks. Should you make a mistake, paint over it with white paint when the detail color dries.