subject: Landscape Painting [print this page] Landscapes are the most popular types of paintings in the world, and are sold more often than any other. Depicting the beauty of nature in a painting is as old as time itself, but there are some tricks that can help the beginner produce a good landscape.
Painting landscapes requires planning. Begin by taking a good look at your area. Walk around and look at the area from different view points. Often a new viewpoint can change a landscape, so make sure you are going to paint from the one you prefer. Depending on what you're painting, you might opt either a horizontal or vertical format. If you are painting trees, the most obvious choice would be a vertical format, but if the tree has a beautiful cabin across the field, a horizontal format will let you include that too.
The time of day, weather and season will have a strong influence on your painting. Sunset and sunrise produce very different colors in nature than midday sunshine, and cloudy or stormy weather will influence the color and mood of the landscape as well. Seasonal changes in nature will affect color and vegetation.
Lighting is another factor to consider. The lighting will be affected by the time of day you want to portray. Contrast is also influenced by the lighting. The color of any object differs depending on the amount of light. If you are painting 'plein air' (outside at the location), you will have to return for several days at the same time to ensure the lighting is the same each time you paint.
Unless you are painting a recognized landscape, there is no rule that says you must include everything in the location. Advanced painters might mix in elements from other landscapes. This is art, not photography, so you do have some poetic license.
Beginners are advised to paint the same landscape several times at different times of time. You will learn more about the landscape, as well as your own painting.
Perspective and focus is important when it comes to landscape, as some elements will be further away as others. One way of dealing with this is to keep foreground elements sharp, giving them more detail, and lessening the amount of detail in the background. This not only helps to create a focal interest point, it also creates the illusion of depth, much as a photograph will have an area in sharp focus, with the background slightly softer and out of focus.
When planning your landscape painting project, look carefully at the colors. There are hundreds of browns and greens in nature, but those are by no means the only colors you will need. Sunsets will give a pink hue, shadows can appear purple, and combining these things can give your painting life.
A nature landscape is very satisfying. With a little planning, you can create the mood of a landscape.
