In this chapter, we'll explore the serene beauty of a summer landscape featuring graceful willow trees and a shimmering river under the bright sun. The scene is set with a simple yet effective composition, utilizing an S-shaped curve that guides the eye through the painting, suggesting rhythm and flow. This approach often results in the most compelling landscapes, as it avoids unnecessary complexity. The willow trees stand as a focal point, embodying the essence of summer with their lush foliage. The distant mountains, rendered in lighter tonal values, add an element of grandeur and atmospheric depth, enhancing the illusion of height. Throughout this lesson, I'll guide you in mixing vibrant greens and capturing the play of sunlight on water, all while infusing art theory into our practice. By the end, you'll not only recreate this tranquil scene but also gain techniques applicable to your own artistic endeavors. Whether you choose oil or acrylic paints, this project promises to be both rewarding and enlightening, offering a perfect blend of challenge and enjoyment for your painting journey.
This guide accompanies the full video lesson. The lesson includes the complete narrated video, the printable PDF chapter, and personalised critique support.
Use smaller brushes such as number three flat and filbert brushes for adding texture and detail to the hills. These brushes are ideal for creating different marks and are great for landscape painting.
Mix Shadow Colors
Start with the colors used during the blocking stage: yellow ochre, ultramarine blue, and titanium white. Add a small amount of alizarin crimson to adjust the hue and darken the mix. Include a touch of phthalo green to suggest subtle foliage in the shadows.
Add Texture to Hills
Use the shadow mix with a number three filbert brush to paint ridges and shadows of trees and shrubs on the hills. Create dark accents to suggest features like rock faces with cracks, adding randomness and interest without over-detailing.
Balance Detail and Color
Keep detail minimal on distant landforms to avoid overcomplicating the composition. Use lighter values and less saturated colors for the background, reserving more detail and saturated colors for the foreground.
Enhance Shadow Areas
Mix ultramarine blue with burnt sienna, titanium white, and a little alizarin crimson to create a shadow mix with violet tones. This adds color and interest to the shadow areas, suggesting rock faces and enhancing the overall look.
Pro tipUse smaller brushes like filbert and flat brushes to add texture and detail without overcomplicating distant landforms.
Embark on your painting journey by preparing a stable canvas and selecting your preferred medium. Whether you choose oil or acrylic, ensure your surface is ready for the vibrant colors of a summer landscape. Begin by sketching your composition with a burnt sienna base, setting the stage for a harmonious palette that will bring your scene to life.
As you progress, focus on establishing values and shadows, using ultramarine blue to unify the elements of your painting. Build depth by varying the value scale between foreground and background, and mix colors thoughtfully to achieve natural tones. The key is to maintain color harmony across different zones, ensuring a cohesive and visually appealing result.
In the final stages, refine your painting by blending colors smoothly and adjusting values to enhance depth and contrast. Gradually build up lighter layers to add dimension, and restate shadows to bring out the three-dimensional form of your landscape. Remember to save the lightest highlights for the end, allowing your painting to truly come alive with the brilliance of summer sunlight.
Points to remember
Use a manageable canvas size of around 12x12 inches.
Employ a limited palette to maintain color harmony.
Identify and paint dark values first to establish depth.
Use ultramarine blue consistently for cohesion.
Apply the full value scale in the foreground for contrast.
Mix shadow colors with less titanium white for depth.
