How To Draw A Palm Tree With Paint

This palm tree fork painting is a really fun art project for older kids and tweens! Using a fork to create the texture for the leaves and trunk of the palm tree is a unique and fun way for kids to paint.

We love exploring different painting techniques. Take a look at my collection of painting ideas for kids for more fun and creative art projects to try!

I love the bright tropical colors in this painting! The calming blues of the sky and water and the bright greens in the palm tree make this such a great summer art project!

Trying out different painting techniques is always fun for kids! Take a look at this colorful q-tip Easter egg painting for another fun idea.

We love creating and exploring with different art supplies and techniques. If you are looking for more art projects to try, take a look at our ultimate collection of amazing art projects for kids!

Create your own palm tree fork painting

This post contains affiliate links, which come at no cost to you. If you would like more information please review my privacy & disclosure policy.

Supplies

Acrylic paint in sky blue, turquoise, dark green, light green, brown, sand, white
Paintbrushes
Plastic forks
Paint palette & water dish
Canvas pad, canvas or white cardstock (I cut our paper to 8 x 11 inches)

Instructions for your palm tree painting

1. We used canvas paper for this project, I really like how the acrylic paint looks on the canvas paper. But you could easily use any type of canvas or if you are doing this in a classroom then just regular white cardstock will also work.

I cut our paper in half to 8 x 11 inches.

White canvas paper with pencil lines drawn in to indicate water and sand.

Related: Cute and Cheerful Cactus Painting for Kids

2. Next, you need to draw in the lines for the water and sand like in the picture above. You want the biggest part to be the sky, and to draw the sand line on an angle to add some interest.

3. Start by painting in your sky. Put light blue paint onto a paint palette and swirl in some white paint. As you paint there will be white streaks mixed in with the blue.

You can add in some more white as you paint to show clouds and give the sky some interest.

Painting in the water and sand with acrylic paint onto canvas.

4. Let the sky dry and then move on to painting in the water. For the water, use a turquoise blue color and add in some white like you did for the sky.

5. To finish off the background, paint in your sand with a sandy cream color. We didn't add in any white for the sand, just painted with the one color.

Drawing in a palm tree with pencil onto a painted background.

Make sure the background is completely dry before moving on to the palm tree.

6. Now it's time to draw in the palm tree. Using a pencil lightly draw in the trunk of the tree and some lines to indicate the leaves.

Remind kids to press very lightly in case they need to erase something as they are drawing.

Painting in the trunk of a palm tree and then creating texture with a fork.

7. Using a darker brown color, kids can paint in the trunk of their palm tree. We painted two layers for the trunk, so paint in one coat of dark brown and let it dry.

Then paint in another layer of the same brown, but mix in some white on to make a lighter brown.

While the second coat is still wet (the paint must be wet for this step), use a fork to create some texture on the trunk of the tree. Remind kids to paint with the fork in the same direction and to stop before the outside edge.

Painting in the leaves of a palm tree with dark green.

8. Time for the palm tree leaves! Start with a darker green color and using the pencil lines as a guide, paint in one leaf at a time.

Use a paintbrush to paint in the leaf, you want lots of paint on your brush and to paint in a thick line. Drag the paint down just slightly to create the leave shape like in the picture above.

Using a fork to add texture to the palm tree leaves to make the palm tree fork painting.

Then drag a fork down over the leaf shape to create the palm tree leaf texture. Kids can go over the leaf with their fork a few times, dragging the paint down.

Because the paint has to be wet for the fork painting to work properly, you just want to do one leaf at a time.

Painting in a light green to the palm tree leaves with a paintbrush first, then using a fork to create texture.

9. The final step is adding in a lighter green to the palm tree leaves. Just like with the darker green color, start with a paintbrush and then use your fork to create the leaf texture.

I love how calm and serene this palm tree fork painting turned out! Using a fork to add in some texture to the leaves and trunk of the palm tree is such a neat way for kids to make this painting.

For more awesome summer painting ideas, check out this gorgeous rose painting tutorial that is perfect for older kids and tweens and these rock painting ideas that kids will love!

More painting ideas you will love

Paint a Stunning Van Gogh Masterpiece Using Forks

Paint Van Gogh's Starry Night using forks! Learn about creating movement and texture in painting like Van Gogh with this fun and engaging art project that will have your kids wanting to paint with forks over and over again!

Colorful Flamingo Scrape Painting with Printable

flamingo scrape painting project finished image

Follow me on Pinterest for more amazing project ideas.

Pin this art project for later

Palm tree fork painting Pinterest image1

Palm tree fork painting Pinterest image2

Prep Time 5 minutes

Active Time 40 minutes

Additional Time 20 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes

Difficulty Medium

Materials

Acrylic paint in sky blue, turquoise, dark green, light green, sand, dark brown, white
Canvas pad, canvas or white cardstock

Tools

Paintbrushes
Paint palette
Forks
Water dish

Instructions

First you want to get your canvas or paper ready, we used a canvas paper pad and I cut our paper to 8 x 11 inches.
Draw in your water and sand lines lightly with a pencil. Make the sky the biggest part, followed by the water and draw the sand line on a bit of an angle.
Mix your sky blue paint with some white. Paint your sky with your blue mixture, add in some more white if you like.
Do the same with the turquoise color for the water, add in some white paint to your turquoise and paint in the water.
Paint in the sand area with a creamy sand color. Let the background dry completely before moving on to the palm tree.
Draw in your palm tree with a pencil. Draw the trunk of the tree and then draw lines to indicate where the leaves will go.
Paint in the tree trunk with a dark brown color. Let it dry and then paint in another layer with dark brown and a lighter brown mixed together.
I just mixed our dark brown with some white to make the lighter shade.
While the paint on the second layer is still wet, use a fork to create lines in the tree trunk, giving it some texture.
Time to paint the leaves! Start with a dark green color and paint over your pencil line with thick paint.
Drag the paint down just a bit to start to make the leaf shape.
While the paint is still wet, use your fork to pull the paint down even further, creating the leaf shape and texture. Refer to the photo above for an example.
Work on 1 leaf at a time and finish painting all of the leaves with the darker green.
Using a lighter green, paint over the leaves again and use a fork to create lines in the leaves.
Make sure not to paint over the entire leaf with the lighter color. Leave lots of dark green showing through.