2 Easy Watercolor Landscape Tutorials for Beginners

If you're new to watercolor painting and want to explore beautiful landscapes, these 2 easy WATERCOLOR landscape tutorials are a great way to start. These simple but effective methods use the flow of water and gravity to create soft gradients, making it ideal for beginners.

Both tutorials involve tilting your board upside down, allowing the paint to naturally flow from light to dark for a stunning sky effect. In this article, we'll explore two versions of a similar landscape design, each using the same set of colors to bring the scene to life.

Watercolor Landscape Techniques

To achieve that smooth sky gradient look in your WATERCOLOR landscape, begin by tilting your board at an angle. Starting with a wet-on-wet technique, apply a light wash at the top of the paper and let gravity pull the paint downward.

As the wash moves, it creates a natural gradient, blending the colors smoothly from light to dark. This method is perfect for painting a sunset or dawn sky, where soft transitions in the sky are crucial.

First Tutorial: Creating a Soft Sky with a Flowing Landscape

The first of the two tutorials focuses on how to create a soft sky using just a few simple brushstrokes. Begin by wetting your paper, then load your brush with a pale blue or yellow pigment for the sky.

Allow the paint to flow downward, forming the base for your landscape. Once the sky is complete, you can add distant mountains or trees, allowing the background to fade gently into the sky for a misty, atmospheric effect.

As you proceed, the key is to let the water do the work. By keeping the paint wet, you ensure that it flows naturally and that the gradient transitions between colors are smooth. This first tutorial teaches you to appreciate how gravity can help shape your painting while guiding the flow of the paint.

Second Tutorial: Adding Depth to Your Watercolor Landscape

The second tutorial builds upon the first, but this time focuses on adding depth to your WATERCOLOR landscape. Using the same technique of tilting the board, you’ll once again create a soft sky, but this time with a more detailed foreground.

Start by applying a light wash for the sky and then layer darker colors to create the landscape’s foreground. In this version, trees or rocks can be added, providing more depth and dimension to the overall painting.

For this version, make sure the paint in the sky is fully dry before moving on to the foreground. This ensures that the layers don’t bleed into each other and helps create that crisp separation between the sky and landscape. The beauty of this tutorial is that even though the technique is simple, the result is a richly layered painting.

Key Tips for Beginners

• Work with the flow of water: Don't try to control the paint too much. Let it naturally blend for those smooth gradients.
• Layer your paints: Start with light washes and then gradually add more pigment for depth.
• Keep your board tilted: This will allow the paint to flow, making it easier to achieve that gradient effect.

Following these tips, you’ll quickly see progress in your WATERCOLOR landscape skills.

Final Thoughts on Easy Watercolor Tutorials

These two easy WATERCOLOR landscape tutorials provide a solid introduction for beginners looking to learn the basics of gradient painting and landscape composition.

The upside-down tilt technique allows the paint to flow naturally, creating beautiful transitions in your sky and landscape. Plus, both versions use the same color palette, making them simple yet effective tutorials for improving your skills.

With a little practice and patience, you’ll be able to create stunning watercolor landscapes that showcase the beauty of nature. Try out these techniques, and soon you'll find yourself more confident in your watercolor painting journey!

We thank Krista Robertson for the images.

Enjoy This Video Tutorial About Watercolor Landscape

Source: Krista Robertson

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