Beautiful 4 Part Landscape Painting Video Demonstration

Landscape Painting Video Lesson in 4 Parts

Here is a 4 part step by step landscape painting video demo done with oil paints by artist Jon Houglum. This is a landscape painting done in the style of the Old Master Impressionists with a focus on how to paint fluffy clouds with oil paint.

This is one of the best free landscape painting video demonstrations I have seen online and believe me, I watch a lot of these!

Jon is an excellent instructor and really breaks the landscape painting process down into steps that are easy to follow so that you can paint along. He covers everything from how he composes the painting, to the color mixtures that he uses.

I learned a great deal from watching this oil painting video tutorial for beginners and I know you will too. Grab your favorite beverage , relax and enjoy! Read more

How to Paint Shadows in Your Landscape and Still Life Paintings

By Julie Shoemaker

There is something about adding shadows to a painting that really bring it to life. Look around you in nature, you rarely do not see a shadow of some type. I have taken a simple painting of a vase of flowers and given it life by casting a shadow from it.

My favorite type of shadow is a simple cast shadow. If an object is blocking the sun or light source, a shadow will be cast. Cast shadows should be painted with colors that are similar to the object itself with some warm colors added. You use warm colors, red, yellow and orange because the sun is warm. So if the sun is the light source and the object is a blue vase you would take the blue and warm it a bit with one of the warm colors mentioned to dry-brush in the shadow

For landscape paintings, the value of shadows depends on the time of day. Early morning shadows are longer and darker while afternoon shadows shorter are lighter. Following the rule that the shadow is nearly 50 percent darker than the portion of the object that is in the light will generally work well.

The direction and size of the shadow should also be carefully thought out. In the example of the blue vase, lets’ say the light is coming from a window above the vase and on the left. Since the light source is higher than the object the shadow will be cast at an angle. So a shadow on the right side of the vase and extending lower than the vase would make a realistic shadow.

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Artist Spotlite – James Gerity

Artist: James Gerity

Location: Peninsula, Ohio

Title: Untitled

Dimensions: 24″ x 36″

Medium: Oil on Canvas

Website: http://www.freewebs.com/jgerityart

Comments From the Artist: This was one of the larger pieces I’ve done.  It was time consuming and exciting. I am new to painting and I have certainly enjoyed and learned from your website… for that I thank you.

“Vineyard Patterns” – An Oil Painting Demonstration by Jennifer Young

Step One: Choose a Scene

I often head out to the Virginia mountains to do some plein air painting, and on a morning last week I visited Veritas Vineyards in Afton Virginia. This is a beautiful winery and there are many possibilities for painting subject matter. However, my umbrella broke and I haven’t yet purchased a new one, which can make painting on location in an open field a bit difficult. If the sun is shining directly on your canvas, all you see is a bunch of glare and your paintings end up turning out way to dark and muddy as a result.Having said that, I can’t stress enough how important it is to take the time to choose a scene that excites and interests you. You have a better chance of producing a much better painting as a result. Luckily I came upon a nice shady spot in a private area off of the main road past the winery’s tasting room and became excited about this scene:

Okay, so it loses something in my photograph, perhaps! But what I liked about this scene was the abstract shapes and patterns formed by the sweeping lines of the vines and ground. The light was constantly going back and forth behind cloud masses, making painting with consistent lighting very difficult. But that is the fun challenge of painting on location!

Step 2 – Lay out the Design

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Tips For Painting Landscapes In Watercolor

One of the biggest challenges beginners face with any type of art, is the ability to really connect with the creativity that is inside of them. It’s difficult in the beginning to just let go and paint from your heart and soul. Your mind is being filled with techniques and systems for approaching painting, that may inhibit your creativity. Don’t get me wrong, painting techniques are essential to learning, but there should be a point where you begin to draw from your own creative imagination.

When painting a subject, whether it be a person, landscape, wildlife, etc., it is important that you first carefully study and observe your subject. You need to get intimate and personal with the subject you are painting. If you want to learn how to paint great landscapes, then you should spend time in and around the area that inspires you to paint. Only then can you really get a sense of what it is you are seeing, and how to re-create that scene on paper.

Before you even touch the paint though, head down to your location with only paper and pencils. One of the best ways to become closer to the scene you are painting, is to spend time there doing sketches. This will really force you to observe what you see and burn the image and the environment into your senses. You will be amazed at how much you learn about a scene by simply doing a few drawings.

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