Landscape Painting Tips For Beginners

 

Have you ever had the chance to paint outdoors? There's something quite magical in the feeling of being comfortably secluded with nature having an almost spiritual connection with the world around you. Landscape painting is a passion for many. Following are some techniques and tips for following your passion:

Don't Get Overwhelmed

First of all, try not to get overwhelmed by the scene in front of you. Yes, of course, it's tempting to try to squeeze in every detail, paint every leaf, branch, and blade of grass. However, you'll go crazy if you try to copy everything exactly as you see it. Instead of copying the landscape, try and paint your own impression of what you see. Squint your eyes and see the landscape as a series of shapes, lights and dark, as opposed to seeing every detail. Relax, let the painter inside come to the surface, and you'll be amazed at what you can accomplish.

Plan Ahead 

Although painting on location is a beautiful experience, one thing you need to remember is that you'll have to paint quite fast as the lighting can change quickly. Starting your paintings off with a large brush will prevent you from focusing on the details too much and enable you to establish the major components of the painting. Take a few shots of the scene with a digital camera, that way if you're unable to capture the scene in one sitting, you'll have a reference photo and can complete your painting in the studio.

Tone Your Canvas

Before applying your oil paint, you'll need to tone your canvas, as starting a landscape with toned ground makes it easier to judge values. Also, for an interesting effect, let some of the underpainting show through in some areas of your painting.

Creating Illusion

Different techniques can be used to create the illusion of depth or distance in your paintings. You can adjust your colors by making them cooler and less intense for the distant objects. For closer objects you can make the colors warmer and more intense. Reduce the size of objects as they recede and you can also take away details and sharp edges to make objects appear more distant.

Focal Point

Your painting should have a focal point, also known as a "center of interest." You do not want the other objects in your painting to compete with your focal point. Remember, the other objects in your painting should never compete with your focal point and they also should serve to draw the viewer to your "center of interest."

Practice First

Drawing is great practice, so, instead of jumping right for the paint, use a pencil and paper. With drawings, you can become more relaxed and intimate with the scene, training yourself to see the various darks and lights of the scene without the use of color.

Keep Things Simple

When you focus too much of your time on lugging around unwanted materials, it takes away from the enjoyment of what you came there to do -- which is to paint! Therefore, it's of the utmost importance that you bring only those items that you know you will need and use.

Clouds

One of the biggest challenges for beginners is the painting of clouds. Clouds are three-dimensional objects made up of water and ice particles that reflect light, which means the color of your clouds will vary depending on the weather and lighting conditions. Try not to paint every detail and remember general perspective rules when painting clouds. Clouds closer to you will generally be more detailed, while clouds at a distance will begin to lose detail and get smaller in size. Be sure and pay attention to the edges of the clouds as sharp edges advance while smooth edges recede.

Balance

By balancing the positive and negative space in your painting, your composition will be much more interesting. Do not neglect negative space -- negative space surrounds the positive space and is equally important -- but at the same time, don't let it dominate your painting.

Relax

Relax, let go and enjoy yourself. Let the magic begin!