Watercolor Landscape Painting Lessons

Lesson Library For Watercolor Methods Members
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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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pink tulips in glass vase watercolor painting lesson

Farm Scene With Morning Light

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

  • The idea of painting as a process that includes studies and explorations before starting the painting
  • Using basic composition along with linear perspective to create a dynamic picture plane
  • Planning a simple, abstract Value Composition Sketch
  • Creating Color Studies to explore color schemes and light effects
  • Creating the finished painting based on decisions made with studies and explorations

THIS IS AN INTEGRATED LESSON THAT CONSCIOUSLY USES LINEAR PERSPECTIVE IN THE LAYOUT

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Lemons in a decorated bowl. Image from a watercolor painting lesson

Old Mill In Evening Light

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

  • How to create a Value Composition for solid structure and to represent light and form
  • Discover how a ‘limited’ Primary Color Scheme is not limited at all
  • How to make light your subject
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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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painting winter trees in a winter landscape in watercolor

Winter Trees In A 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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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

AN EASIER LESSON APPROACHABLE BY EVERYONE

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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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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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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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yellow irises watercolor painting

Aerial Perspective In A Rainy Day Scene

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

  • How to create a simple Value Composition that works especially well for Aerial Perspective effects
  • Using the fluid character of watercolor to capture the effect of Aerial Perspective
  • How to easily capture reflections on puddles
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rural scene with barn watercolor painting

Country Scene In Evening Light

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

  • The benefit of Composition studies
  • Using basic techniques to create soft and rough textures
  • How to get a surprising range of color from a Limited Primary Palette
  • How to capture Light with Color and Value contrasts

THIS IS AN INTEGRATED LESSON THAT WITH A FOCUS ON VALUE COMPOSTION AND COLOR STUDIES

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lemons and plums in a watercolor still life painting

Winter Landscape With Fir Trees

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

  • Use a Value Composition to guide placement of light, mid and dark values
  • Creating soft texture with the basic wet-in-wet technique.
  • How to establish the overall value composition with large washes early in the painting.

THIS LESSON IS AN EASY INTRODUCTION TO VALUE AND COLOR VALUE

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garden path scene watercolor painting lesson

Garden Path With Light

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

  • How to push and combine basic watercolor techniques for a sophisticated look
  • To use texture to create the illusion of detail
  • Using Value and Temperature contrasts to create light

THIS IS A MORE CHALLENGING LESSON

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covered bridge in morning light watercolor painting lesson finished work

Covered Bridge In Morning Light

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

  • Learn to create a simple, strong two-dimensional structure for the painting while supporting the idea of morning light slanting in from the right.
  • Learn to create Color Studies that help explore different color and value possibilities for the scene.
  • Learn to maintain the composed values in the painting. Don’t underestimate the difficulty in this!

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

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Quiet winter stream watercolor painting lesson

Quiet Drama In A Winter Landscape Scene

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

  • The Power of simplicity
  • The easiest Value Composition
  • Converting Value to Color

AN EASIER LESSON APPROACHABLE BY EVERYONE

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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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Winter Landscape Stream Watercolor Lesson

Winter Trees In A Winter Landscape

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

  • Using a simple Value Composition for structure and light
  • Use a simple limited color palette that works well for any winter scene
  • How to create light and drama with value and temperature contrasts
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Watercolor landscape painting with puddle by Tony Conner

Rainy Day Landscape With Puddle

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

  • Soft texture – to depict the soft look of a misty day
  • Rough brush – using the side of the brush with a light touch; this is especially effective for creating rough texture for weeds, grasses and rough patches of earth
  • Gradation – simple gradual changes in color or value work well in skies and water; use them to createthe reflective surface of a rain puddle
  • Quick brush strokes – marks that are easy and simple but create effective reflections

THIS IS AN EASY LESSON FOR LEARNING TO PAINT PUDDLES

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