Watercolor Landscape Painting Lessons

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Our Newest Lesson

An old mill in summer watercolor painting lesson. Learn to use shadows to represent form and support composition.

Paint An Easy Summer Landscape

Learn To Use Shadows To Represent Shape and Strengthen Composition.

Paint The Spring Landscape

black eyed susans painted in a watercolor vignette

Paint The Early Spring Landscape

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

  • Learn how to make the best of a limited color palette
  • Learn to use the surface of Rough paper for sparkle and texture
  • Learn to make light the main subject

A DIFFERENT APPROACH AND ROUGH PAPER MAKES THIS ONE A BIT MORE CHALLENGING

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Forsythia in bloom and spring light in watercolor painting lesson

Forsythia In Spring Light

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

  • How to use a simple Value Composition to bring focus to the main subject.
  • Using a consciously chosen color scheme that works with the value composition to bring focus and to create the sense of warm spring light.
  • Use a combination of basic techniques and methods for variety and visual richness

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watercolor painting of a sycamore tree and landscape

Sycamore Tree And Spring Landscape

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

  • How to paint the unique look of the Sycamore tree
  • To create the look of early spring with the right color combinations
  • Using a precise drawing when needed

THIS IS AN EASY LESSON FOR EVERYONE

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Paint The Summer Landscape

swamp scene on a misty summer day in watercolor painting lesson

Summer Swamp Scene With Aerial Perspective

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

  • Using the unusual Secondary Triad Color Scheme
  • Creating atmosphere and Aerial Perspective
  • Using a simple Value Composition to enhance space, distance and Aerial Perspective

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Paint a summer scene with sparkling water in this watercolor painting lesson.

Summer Landscape With Sparkling River

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

  • How to paint the deep greens of summer
  • Use a Value Composition to develop a sense of light
  • Develop the painting fast by laying in value areas quickly

THIS IS A MORE CHALLENGING LESSON

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Winter Landscape Lessons

Paint and expressive winter landscape in watercolor

Paint An Expressive Winter Landscape

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

  • How a simple value composition allows freedom and expression
  • Using sedimentary colors for textural effect
  • Adding visual interest with edge and textural variety

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Dramatic winter night scene in watercolor

Paint A Dramatic Winter Night Landscape

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

  • Balancing stark light-dark contrasts
  • Using a simple value sketch for compositional strength
  • Learn how to mix and use very dark colors

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painting winter trees in a winter landscape in watercolor

Winter Trees In A Stark Winter Landscape

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

  • How to create a simple, strong two value composition
  •  Practice mixing useful neutral color mixtures to keep the scene lively even though it is a gray winter day
  • Use a value composition along with lively neutrals to create a dynamic scene

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Quiet winter stream watercolor painting lesson

Quiet Winter Stream Landscape

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

  • How to use the simplest value composition for quiet drama
  • How to build harmony with a limited color palette
  • Combining easy, basic watercolor techniques for a professional look

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lemons and plums in a watercolor still life painting

Paint A Fresh Winter Landscape Scene

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

  • Learn how to make the best of a limited color palette
  • Learn to use the surface of Rough paper for sparkle and texture
  • Learn to make light the main subject

THIS LESSON MAKES GREAT USE OF BASIC WATERCOLOR TECHNIQUES ON ROUGH PAPER

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still life watercolor painting on hot press paper

Quiet Winter Scene On Rough Paper

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

  • Learn to create a value composition that interlocks planes of space and creates a strong center of attention
  • Learn how to make the best of the texture of rough paper
  • Learn to let the value composition guide the placement of hue and value

WORK WITH A DIRECT APPROACH ON ROUGH PAPER

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Paint The Autumn Landscape

covered bridge in morning light watercolor painting lesson finished work

Covered Bridge In Morning Light

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

  • Learn to create a simple but dynamic value composition
  • Create a Color Studies to choose colors and guide the painting
  • Learn how to maintain value when working in color

THIS IS AN INTEGRATED LESSON WITH PRACTICE IN VALUE COMPOSITION AND COLOR STUDIES

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yellow irises watercolor painting

Fall Landscape With Golden Foliage

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

  • How to use color harmony to create light, form and ‘glow’ on bright foliage
  • Use color contrast to boost apparent brightness and color intensity
  • The power of simple value compositions

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yellow irises watercolor painting

Barn In Late Fall

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

  • How to effectively use a Primary Triad Color Scheme for a full color range
  • Let the Value Composition form the structure of the painting
  • Create light even in darker value areas

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