The Artistic Leap: How Watercolor Landscapes Catapulted My Skill Level
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There was a time when I wasn't really interested in painting landscapes. They just seemed way too complex, and just the thought gave me overwhelm. I was working my full-time job at this stage, so time was precious and I reserved my painting time mostly for quicker spot illustrations. However, after I left my day job in mid-2020, I began to experiment with them, and wished I'd started them sooner!
Landscapes have so many elements that it is a learning experience all its own.
Why? Because landscapes sort of have it all, subject matter-wise. They have a focal point, consist of color and shading, and show distance and proximity, plus featuring plenty of shadow and light. They’re also great for practicing detailed painting, and they allow you to practice painting color in larger areas. There are so many lessons to learn from completing just one landscape, that it can really boost your skills and build your confidence very quickly.
I'll admit, landscapes look too complicated for early painters to take on, but when I started to teach landscape painting in my watercolor membership among other things, I learned the opposite is true. Telling new students that I have confidence in them to take on such a difficult subject matter helps them take the leap. Then, as I lead them through the project successfully, it becomes their biggest confidence boost that keeps them going forward. If I’d only known this sooner, I would have been painting landscapes for years.
I’m passing this discovery on to you, so you can get a jump on this trick!
In one case, my membership student Adele, was about to move from her home in the Andes mountains and wanted to paint her backyard as a tribute to her time in Peru. The view featured an ancient site as well as some beautiful flowers, shrubs, trees, and a gazebo. She had never really painted with watercolors before except to do my basic foundational color theory lessons, but as I walked her through the process of painting this landscape, her skills evolved before her eyes.
She couldn’t believe what she had created, and she was so proud of her painting, as she should be! That was only her second month in the membership and now Adele is not intimidated by difficult subject matters. She is ready to tackle painting some exotic birds from her time in Brazil, and I can’t wait to see the result!
If you always wanted to paint landscapes, but you’re confused about how to do one, here are some basic guidelines:
1. Do a quick sketch, starting with the horizon line. (If you’re not familiar, the horizon line separates land or sea from the sky, and generally is off in the distance.)
I think a lot of people get hung up on this point, because they think they are supposed to do a drawing. A drawing is actually a detailed depiction of a subject matter, but a sketch is just the act of making some pencil marks for placement, so it doesn’t have to be fancy or detailed.
2. From there, I sketch the big details like trees, lakes, mountains and clouds.
In this landscape, the next priority was this vintage fence lining a sandy wood plank path, leading to the beach. Each post was a different height and width according to what distance it was in the scene, so it was important to get that placement as close as possible.
3. After the sketch is done, I start painting, beginning, with the larger background areas like the sky, the sea, and the land.
4. When the backgrounds dry, I paint the first layers of the other more close-range items in the composition.
5. Once they are all dry, I go in with the second and third layers to add shadow, light, and detail.
6. Depending on the item, I create different textures depending on what types of strokes I use. I used small, quick dabbing strokes for the leaves in the trees, and more thin, lengthy ones for the ocean and the wood grain. Then I use smoother strokes for the sand.
BONUS TIP: Knowing what types of strokes to use to give your paintings the right textures, will give your objects the right look, creating special effects that make your paintings look that much more realistic, with very little effort.
With a little patience, and using a step by step that breaks down the process, you can see how easily a beautiful and seemingly complicated composition can come together!
Please note that the outcome that I'm never going for is perfection. In fact, over the years I've learned the more imperfect, the more charming and beautiful it turns out. This philosophy has really helped me to let go and just go with the flow on most of my projects. So I want to encourage you to give yourself permission to do that, too!
Now it’s your turn. My challenge to you this week is to paint a landscape following the step-by-step guidelines above.
If it still sounds a bit complicated, just dive in because that’s the fastest way you’re going to learn anything.
Remember your childish enthusiasm, because kids don’t worry about doing it wrong. They just do it. As adults, we lose some of that fearlessness, but kids have the right idea by choosing to experiment until they find a connection with something. Practice not caring about the outcome of your painting and keep going. It will be way more fun, and you’ll learn so much more.
When you give it a try, don’t forget to tag me @octopusconnection and use #MyWatercolorSummer so I can find and share your work. We’re having some fantastic conversations about this challenge, in the challenge community and I would love to have you join us inside.
Join the Your Watercolor Summer low-pressure weekly painting challenge to keep your skills sharp, all summer long, while avoiding overwhelm.
Want to learn how to paint beautiful landscapes with my step-by-step process? You can find easy detailed instructions in my watercolor membership and in my 1-hour class, Watercolor Painting On The Go on Skillshare.com.
