As a new painter, or a painter looking for a change of direction, when you think of landscape paintings you probably think of Bob Ross – an array of wonderful meadows, valleys and talent-filled canvasses tinted with a hint of personality. His paintings instil a sense of calm and happiness, and at the heart of many landscape artists is that inner serenity in the face of chaos. Traditional landscape paintings are also without anger or hatred and are instead steeped in calmness.
A range of Landscapes
There are other forms of landscape aside from the traditional ones that we’d usually think of. Fantasy landscapes where the fields of purple contrast the skies of green, or the stormy skies that show a brewing sense of chaos, as well as the dramatic western landscapes. Whatever your preference, Mark Mitchell Paintings have a top tip on how you can make your landscape paintings that much better.
After learning about all the different shades of green, painting from photographic references, being adventurous and maybe creating a series, your paintings still aren’t perfect. Why? Well, you might be trying too hard.
Painting with Feeling
The first and foremost thing to remember is that it’s a painting, not a photograph. Yes, some artists have the uncanny ability to capture every detail and create a painting that can be mistaken for a photograph. But art is about emotion, not just about realism, so instead of focusing on capturing every little detail, you should be given the observer a sense of what it is. The objects and the overall scene should be recognisable, but the true test of a painting is the emotion behind it, so focusing on capturing the feeling of a landscape is arguably more important than making it look exactly like what it is.
Take Claude Monet as an example. Monet is widely regarded as a great landscape painter and is arguably one of the finest. Monet’s pieces aren’t what you would regard as intricate or photo-perfect, instead, they capture the feeling of summer’s or a day at the beach or a beautiful and flowery garden.
You can check out some of our landscape paintings at Mark Mitchell Paintings & Drawings, including pieces by George Weissbort and Terry Watts.
