What makes an Interesting Landscape
Painting? How can you make it stand
out?
Why does the eye find it pleasing?
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| 2024 - Cloudy Day on Hicks Lake - Who knew a few rocks and things could be so interesting?! |
As I was sketching up at the Lake this summer I had lots of time to consider this. The reason, several days of cloudy weather. There was no bright sunlight to create interesting shadows to catch the eye. It seemed everything was just GREEN or GRAY. I was there to sketch, so sketch and paint I did.
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| 2024 Cloudy Day on Hick's Lake - Not tooooo Exciting, eh?! |
Thursday, October 10, 17 & 24, 6:00-8:00pm PST (Zoom)
$75 Before Oct 8, $90 after
Medium: Ink & Watercolour
Join Wendy to learn new drawing skills with this playful pair, Ink & Watercolour. See below for more info. Contact Wendy to Register
It was at this point I realized I needed a different approach. As I worked I began to study the things that really affected the success of my landscape. Let me describe the things I noticed.
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| 2024 Cloudy Day on Hicks Lake - Working Sketch |
5 Ways to Make Interesting Landscape Paintings.
1. Focus on line, shapes and textures - This I found
key to keep my attention. Walking and
boating along the shoreline, I was attracted to areas with diversity: scraggy
stumps and logs; rocks of various sizes and shapes; scrawny little branches;
twigs peaking out between rocks. Things
that when grouped together in a painting offer interest in line, shape, and
texture.
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| Interesting Negative Space is MUST for any Successful Landscape |
2. Consider the Negative Space -
This really helps in the layout.
Deciding what must stay and what can go. Not every rock needs to be included. Maybe the brushes need to be thinned
down. Looking to see the negative space
you create in you painting can go a long way to improving the composition.
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| Note the Dark Empty Shadows - they make big dark holes in your composition |
3.
Pay Attention to Shadows and
Light - Here was the challenge for me, as with a cloudy day, there are only dark
shadows. Well, according to my
photograph, anyway. But if you are painting
from life you will see lots of very subtle value changes that you can use to
enhance your work. Fortunately, I was painting from life.
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| Note some of the interesting things you can add to those dark places. It's surprising how different the view is when working from life. |
4. Create depth with Layers - By depth, I mean the 3 planes of your
painting - Foreground, Mid-ground and Background. By layering, I am referring to the things in the
painting that overlap each other. The
rocks are a classic example of layering. But there are other things that are layered as well: branches over rocks, water over rocks, even my log in the water is on and behind my rock.
I like to look for ways to add more layers to each plane to create more interest. For example adding those little plants
between the rocks suggests a layer between them. (see above)
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| Note the layers created with the water, then rock, then log then water/air suggested behind |
5. Create more depth with Suggestions - I love the ‘Power of
Suggestion’. It is the magic of creating.
A simple mark or line can suggest so much. Check out my paint marks in the ‘sky/water’ area behind the
rocks and the log. The shapes suggest
space behind the rocks creating more depth in the background. Try covering up that area and you will see
what I mean.
Sure there are other things that can help make interesting Landscape Paintings: subject choice; drawing skills; colour choice. But checking out these tips before getting too invested in your painting will contribute to your success. Have fun with your painting.
*************** Special Note:
Thursday, October 10, 17 & 24, 6:00-8:00pm PST (Zoom)
$75 Before Oct 8, $90 after
Medium: Ink & Watercolour
Join Wendy to learn new drawing skills with this playful pair. See below for more info. Contact Wendy to Register
***************
Enhance Your Drawing Skills using Ink & Watercolour
Thursday, October 10, 17 & 24, 6:00-8:00pm PST (Zoom)
Ink & Watercolour love to Play together. Using pen and watercolour, this series of lessons will focus on developing your drawing skills: Light and Shadows, Edges, Relationships and Composition. Wendy will pull from elements of nature and urban settings for her subject material.
Cost: Early Bird $75 Before Oct 8, $90 after Contact Wendy to Register
