Tips for Better Watercolor Landscape Compositions

Hey there, fellow art enthusiast! Are you ready to level up your landscape compositions and take your artistic skills to the next level? In this tutorial, we’re diving deep into the world of landscape composition, armed with a powerful video that demonstrates how to use a photo reference as a starting point for your watercolor masterpiece.

Tips for Better Watercolor Landscape Paintings

First off, let’s talk tools. We’re not talking about your ordinary, run-of-the-mill tools here – we’re talking about the three musketeers of landscape composition:

• the alternative rule of thirds – this is similar to traditional rule of thirds but much more flexible. The idea is you divide the area into small, medium and large horizontally and vertically. See image below for how it was applied to this lesson.
• designing using big shapes (no details) – it’s better to use large shapes and avoid details. The main idea is to have one large shape, some medium and small to balance it out.
• the value hierarchy plan – value hierarchy is one of the main tools for making the scene come to life. It’s useful to plan the focal point around some contrast of light and dark values.

These tools are like the paintbrushes in the hands of a master artist, allowing you to create landscapes that leap off the canvas and into the hearts of your audience.

Hey! Here’s a complete guide to watercolor landscape painting. Check it out!

We’ll explore the alternative rule of thirds, a creative twist on the classic rule of thirds, to bring a fresh perspective to your compositions. Then, we’ll delve into the art of designing using big shapes, where we’ll leave the nitty-gritty details at the door and focus on the grand, sweeping forms that define a landscape. And finally, we’ll uncover the magic of the value hierarchy plan, guiding you to masterfully orchestrate the light and shadow in your compositions.

Conclusion

So, grab your digital palette and let’s embark on this exhilarating artistic journey together! With these powerful tools at your disposal, you’ll be crafting landscapes that sing with depth, drama, and emotion. Get ready to unleash your creativity and breathe life into your landscapes like never before!

The finished art