Last Updated: 13/08/2026
If you’ve ever needed a tree for a piece of digital artwork, you know how tedious it can be to draw branches, leaves, and roots by hand. In this tutorial, we’ll show you how to skip all that manual work using the Tree Generator feature built into the GIMP plugin – a tool that lets you generate fully customisable, realistic-looking trees in literally seconds.
Getting Started
First, open GIMP and create a new canvas:
- Go to File > New.
- Set the canvas size to 1920 x 1080.
- Click OK.
You’ll now have a blank background layer ready to work with.
Finding the Tree Generator
With your canvas open, head to the Filters menu and select the GIMP plugin you installed in a previous tutorial (if you haven’t installed it yet, check the link in the video description for install instructions).
Inside the plugin, you’ll find a long list of options for generating different design elements. Under the Rendering category, you’ll spot the star of this tutorial: the Tree Generator.
Why the Tree Generator Is So Useful
The Tree Generator lets you build trees from scratch directly inside GIMP – perfect for background elements, landscape art, or any scene that calls for natural foliage. Instead of hand-drawing branches and leaves, you can generate a complete tree instantly and then fine-tune it to fit your composition.
Customisable options include:
- Branch thickness – adjust how thick or thin the main trunk and branches appear
- Base thickness – control the thickness at the base of the tree
- Leaf color – change the foliage color to match your scene
- Tree shape/structure – refine and manipulate the overall silhouette
- Angle – adjust the branching angle for different tree styles
- Ratio – control the proportions of the tree
- Random seed – generate variations so no two trees look identical
With so many parameters to play with, the possibilities are nearly endless. It’s well worth spending time experimenting with each setting to see how it changes the final look.
Applying and Styling Your Tree
Once you’re happy with your settings:
- Click Apply.
- Click OK to render the tree onto its own layer.
Because the tree is generated on a separate layer, you can easily build out the rest of your scene around it:
- Add a background: Select the background layer, grab the Gradient tool, and fill it with a smooth gradient to give your tree some atmosphere.
- Resize the tree: Use the Scale tool to shrink the tree down, placing it further in the distance – great for creating depth, like a tree sitting on a distant hill.
Final Thoughts
This is a simple but powerful feature hidden inside the GIMP plugin, and it’s a huge time-saver compared to manually illustrating trees from scratch. Whether you’re working on landscape art, game backgrounds, or general digital illustration, the Tree Generator is worth exploring in depth.
Go ahead and experiment with the different settings – thickness, color, angle, and random seed – to see what unique tree designs you can come up with.
Watch the full tutorial for a visual walkthrough of every step above.
