Painting a landscape comes down to blocking in big shapes and values before adding detail—start with a sketch, then build from back to front.
Most beginners think landscape painting is about chasing every leaf and blade of grass. It isn’t. The paintings that work are built in stages: a quick composition sketch, large masses of light and dark, then details only after the structure is solid. When you know how to paint a landscape in that order, even a simple palette of four or five colors produces scenes with believable depth.
Planning Your Composition First
Before touching paint, test your composition with small thumbnail sketches. Artists regularly use a series of tiny drawings to see which arrangement of shapes works best—trying out a few options in two minutes each beats committing to a weak layout on a full canvas.
Set up your materials before you begin: paints, a portable easel or sketchbook, and the brushes you intend to use. Large flat brushes, filbert brushes, and fan brushes handle the big areas; a small detail brush handles the finishing touches. A common canvas size for beginners is 8×10 or 11×14 inches. The BBC’s landscape painting guide recommends developing your composition and separations before any paint goes down.
Sketching and Blocking In Big Shapes
Begin with a quick, accurate sketch of the main shapes: the horizon line, and the major foreground, middle-ground, and background separations. This doesn’t need detail—it needs correct placement of the big forms so everything that follows has a home.
Once the sketch is in place, establish your large value masses. Divide the scene into at least four tonal values—dark, medium-dark, medium-light, and light—and block those in with a broad brush. Squint at your subject to see the simplified light and dark patterns; squinting removes detail and reveals the structure you need to paint first.
Painting the Sky and Building Depth
Many artists paint the sky early in the process, because light and clouds shift quickly—especially when you work outdoors. Capture the sky’s overall value while the light is still changing, then let it dry as you move to the land.
Depth in a landscape comes from a simple rule: closer elements are darker, sharper, and more saturated, while background elements are cooler, softer, and lighter in value. Compare a dark, detailed tree in the foreground against the hazy blue-gray hills behind it; that contrast alone creates the illusion of distance.
Adding Details and Finishing Touches
After the major masses are blocked in, introduce mid-tones to bridge the large areas, then add smaller details like branches, rocks, and texture. Step back frequently to assess the whole painting—adjust overall values and edges before you call it done. When the composition and values hold together, sign the painting.
A limited palette keeps color decisions simple. One landscape tutorial demonstrates a realistic scene using only four colors, while other sources suggest working with about five to seven hues. A typical landscape palette includes ultramarine blue, burnt umber, alizarin crimson, cadmium yellow, burnt sienna, titanium white, and cerulean blue—but you don’t need all of them to start.
| Stage | What to Do | Best Tool |
|---|---|---|
| Composition | Test layouts with thumbnail sketches | Pencil or thin brush |
| Sketch | Place horizon and major shape separations | Pencil or charcoal |
| Block-in | Fill large areas with 4+ tonal values | Large flat or filbert brush |
| Sky | Capture cloud and light values early | Fan or flat brush |
| Depth | Darken and sharpen foreground; cool and soften background | Any brush; adjust edges |
| Refine | Add mid-tones, then details, then adjust values | Small detail brush |
| Finish | Check composition and values; sign | Fine brush |
Staying Safe While Painting
If you paint with oils or solvents, work in a ventilated space and follow the manufacturer’s safety recommendations. For exterior painting work, keep children, pregnant women, and pets away from the work area, and clean up properly with the right disposal methods. If you’re working over older coatings that might contain lead, protective equipment and controlled cleanup matter even more—when in doubt, check what the surface actually contains before you disturb it.
Once you’ve finished a landscape you’re proud of, you might appreciate seeing how other artists handle similar scenes. Check out our roundup of beautiful landscape paintings for visual inspiration—it’s helpful for studying different approaches to composition and color.
References & Sources
- BBC. “Creating a Scene: How to Get Started with Landscapes.” Walkthrough of planning, sketch, and block-in steps for landscape art.
- Will Kemp Art School. “How to Paint a Realistic Landscape with Only 4 Colours.” Demonstrates a realistic landscape using a minimal palette.
FAQs
What colors do I need to start painting landscapes
You can begin with as few as four colors—a tutorial by Will Kemp Art School proves a realistic landscape works with just four. A fuller starter palette of five to seven hues usually includes ultramarine blue, burnt umber, alizarin crimson, cadmium yellow, burnt sienna, titanium white, and cerulean blue. Start small and add colors when you hit a limitation.
Should I sketch before painting a landscape
Yes. A quick thumbnail sketch tests your composition before you commit paint to canvas, and a slightly more detailed drawing establishes the horizon and the main foreground, middle-ground, and background shapes. Skipping this step leads to paintings with weak layouts that are hard to fix once paint is down.
How do I make my landscape look like it has depth
Depth comes from value and color temperature. Foreground elements should be darker, sharper, and more saturated; background elements should be cooler, softer, and lighter. Establishing large tonal masses first—at least four values—makes this separation much clearer than adding detail before structure.
