How to Add Light to Your Landscape Painting from Udemy

"I know the basics of painting, now please show me a painting from start to finish in detail."

This was the request I received from a new student who had completed my course How to Add Power to Your Painting Instantly. I had the answer for her. Watch me paint a landscape in detail. She loved the lesson and I resolved to prepare a short course on this approach for my online students too.

But I do have one favour to request. Please take this course slowly. I go into detail explaining the concept of light for artists. How to use pigment to create the illusion of light. I also spend a lot more time showing brushwork and little details here and there. This is not a quick fix in one hour. So if you do not like long lessons then break them up into ten minutes here and there.

If you are a beginner please do my course Learn to Paint with Impact first as the foundation there will help you gain the most from this course.

And of course try the lesson out for yourself. Painting better requires honest hard work. There it is.

What do you receive?

I focus on a landscape painting from start to finish. In much more detail and a wider scope of learning. We are going beyond the basics here. You will benefit from learning:

How color should be approached in a landscape painting. Not color theory, but color practice.
How to use your colors and palette like a pro;
What to follow in a photo reference and what to avoid;
Making a strong start to your painting;
Developing shapes and color;
Make decisions about light and color and content that will help your painting.
Know when to persist
Know when to stop

That is what makes an artist produce consistent work of higher quality. You can take this lesson and apply it regularly to your painting. After some time your painting will develop beyond hobby level. This is painting at a level where you can decorate your home and those of your own art fans.

Who Am I?

I'm Malcolm Dewey, a professional artist and writer. I paint contemporary impressionist style paintings of landscapes, figure studies and expressive portraits. I mostly paint in oils and watercolor. I have been painting for over twenty years and sell my paintings, host workshops and of course, teach online.

Join me and learn the fine details of fine art landscape painting.

What's inside

Learning objectives

Paint a landscape scene with confidence.
Have a practical understanding of color in paintings.
Confidently assess color and values in a subject.

Use a variety of brushstrokes.
Mix excellent and natural colors.

Paint a landscape scene with confidence.
Have a practical understanding of color in paintings.
Confidently assess color and values in a subject.
Use a variety of brushstrokes.
Mix excellent and natural colors.

Syllabus

Introduction

The subject for this painting is a gravel road heading into one of the Forest reserves in the Hogsback mountain range. Found in the Eastern Cape region of South Africa this area is a natural wonder. The subject lends itself to a light filled painting. It will be may job to make sure that the final result does suggest a peaceful moment filled with light and beauty.

How to arrange, mix and use the palette of colors

The use of your colors and how to physically mix color on your palette is often left to chance. I find that having a particular style or approach to this helps artists mix the right color more often. Instead of leaving this to chance I have a detailed lesson for you on this topic.

We take a look at another topic often neglected. How to mix those colors with no name! Yes the mysterious colors that make up most of nature.

This is an extra lesson that I have added with a method I like to use in my workshops. It shows you how to mix neutral colors easily using the swatch method. You can always find the correct color mix with this process.

How to Use Paint to Create the Illusion of Light

Everyone has a different idea about what is a light filled landscape. But in this section I want to get to the essence of what we, as artists, need to understand. it is not about the subject. It is about understanding the paint itself so that you can make the most out of the subject.

By using the qualities of paint you can create the illusion of light in the landscape. It is not about the volume of light. It is about the relationships between your colors that the illusion of light is given best effect.

See the Entire Painting Process

Basic composition, mass dark shapes and block in the middle values. This is the quick start to lay the foundation for developing the painting.

Start to define shapes, add color notes and plot the direction of the painting.

The base is established now begin to add the light layers. We learn about color temperature in practice.

What does the painting look like in total? Add more darks and layers to enrich the painting.

Bring it all together and finish with the thick textured paint.

Assess your painting

Those few touches added a couple of days later do help. But what is too much? We look at the overall result and decide if the objective of a light filled painting was achieved.

Create Your Own Landscape Painting

Your Exercise

Good to know

Know what's good

, what to watch for

, and possible dealbreakers

Builds a strong foundation for beginners who want to take their landscape painting to the next level

Suitable for intermediate learners with some painting experience seeking to strengthen their foundation

Deepens professional skills for landscape painting

Focuses on practical, hands-on landscape painting techniques

Taught by a professional artist and writer with over 20 years of experience, Malcolm Dewey

Requires previous knowledge of basic painting concepts and techniques, such as the one taught in the instructor's other course, 'Learn to Paint with Impact'

Career center

Learners who complete How to Add Light to Your Landscape Painting will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Landscape Painter

Landscape painters depict natural landscapes in their artwork featuring rural and urban scenery. Those new to this profession may learn from this course how to use light to create a more realistic landscape painting. The course will also assist in understanding color use in painting, which is crucial for creating vibrant landscapes. Beginners enrolling in this course will also build a foundation that will help them in their journey to becoming landscape painters.

See salaries and explore the career path for Landscape Painter

Art conservator

Art conservators preserve and restore works of art and historic artifacts. This course may be useful for art conservators as it provides a deep dive into the use of light in landscape paintings. Learning about light and color use can also be beneficial in understanding how light affects the aging and deterioration of artwork.

See salaries and explore the career path for Art conservator

Art Director

Art directors oversee the visual style and content of a variety of media, including film, television, and print. This course may be useful for art directors as it provides a deep dive into the use of light in landscape paintings. Learning about light and color use can also be beneficial in directing the visual elements of a production.

See salaries and explore the career path for Art Director

Gallery Director

Gallery directors oversee the day-to-day operations of art galleries, including exhibitions, sales, and marketing. This course may be useful for gallery directors as it provides a deep dive into the use of light in landscape paintings. Learning about light and color use can also be beneficial in understanding the visual appeal of artwork and in curating exhibitions.

See salaries and explore the career path for Gallery Director

Art Instructor

Art instructors plan, prepare, and deliver art instruction for students of varying ages and skill levels. This course may be useful for art instructors as it provides a deep dive into the use of light in landscape paintings. Learning about light and color use can also be beneficial in teaching art fundamentals to students.

See salaries and explore the career path for Art Instructor

How to Add Light to Your Landscape Painting

What's inside

Learning objectives

Syllabus

Good to know

Save this course

Activities

Career center

Reading list

Share

Similar courses