Approaching a landscape painting involves a structured process focused on observation, selection, and establishing the foundational elements before applying detailed color.
Laying the Foundation for Your Landscape
A common and effective approach to tackling a landscape painting involves several key steps that help you simplify the scene and build your composition logically. These steps guide you from observing the vastness of the landscape to laying down the initial structure on your canvas or paper.
Based on insights into landscape painting approaches, here are the essential steps:
1. Finding Your Focal Point and Frame
Before you even make a mark, decide what the most important element in your landscape is – this is your focal point. It could be a specific tree, a building, a mountain peak, or a light effect. Simultaneously, determine the edges of your composition. This defines what will be included within your painting's frame and helps crop the scene effectively.
- Practical Tip: Looking through a viewfinder (even just making a square shape with your hands) can help isolate sections and decide on your frame and focal point.
2. Simplifying the View
You don't have to include everything you see. Landscapes are often complex, and trying to fit it all in can result in a cluttered or overwhelming painting. A crucial step is to select a smaller section of the landscape that includes your focal point and fits your desired composition. This simplifies the subject matter and makes the painting process more manageable.
- Why it helps: Simplifying prevents you from getting bogged down in unnecessary detail and allows you to focus on the essential elements of your chosen scene.
3. Establishing Compositional Shapes
Once you've defined your frame and selected your section, the next step is to rough out the big compositional shapes. This involves sketching or blocking in the main forms of the landscape – the mass of the sky, the shape of the ground, the large forms of trees or buildings, and how they relate to each other within your frame. Focus on the abstract shapes and their placement rather than detail.
- Think in areas: Block in areas like the horizon line, the general shape of a hill, or the mass of a cloud bank.
4. Mapping Out Tonal Values
With the main shapes in place, the next foundational step is to put in the main tonal values, defining where the light and dark areas are. Tonal values refer to the different shades of grey between pure white and pure black. Establishing these initial light and shadow patterns is vital for creating a sense of form, depth, and mood in your painting before you even introduce color.
- Look for contrast: Identify the areas in shadow versus those hit by direct light. Squinting can help simplify the scene into broad value masses.
Following these initial steps provides a strong structural and compositional base for your landscape painting, making the subsequent stages of adding color and detail much more effective.
Summary of Approach Steps
| Step | Action | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Define Focus & Frame | Decide focal point & edges | Guides composition & defines boundaries |
| 2. Simplify the View | Select a smaller section | Makes the subject manageable |
| 3. Establish Big Shapes | Rough out main compositional forms | Creates structural foundation |
| 4. Map Tonal Values | Put in main light/dark areas | Defines form, depth, and initial mood |
Drawing from Observation
This systematic approach is particularly useful when painting landscapes from observation, whether en plein air (outdoors) or from sketches and photos in the studio. It encourages careful observation and planning, leading to a more cohesive and successful painting.
Reference Source
These steps align with techniques discussed in resources focused on landscape painting, including articles like "Tips for Landscape Painting on Location" from Jackson's Art Blog.
