Dear Frustrated Painter,
Nearly every artist who paints landscapes, whether on location or in the studio, has probably experienced trouble when bringing the living elements into their paintings. Compared to solid structures such as buildings, the trees, bushes, shrubs, and other foliage can be a bit of a headache to recreate on canvas. You set out to capture a moment in time — the realness of the scene.
But sometimes the result is perfectly matched sets of plants and bushes that don’t resemble the uniqueness found in nature … trees that look as though they’re hanging from the sky rather than rooted in the ground … colors that look great in the outdoors but not so good on canvas … leaves and branches that just blend into the background.
And, worst of all for landscape artists, light and cast shadows that don’t look natural.
If you have ever hesitated to add any of these elements to your landscape paintings because they just don’t turn out the way you’d like, we have great news for you!
Imagine what it would be like if painting living features became a core skill for you — so much so that you never question your ability or wonder if what you’re about to create will leave you unsatisfied or unwilling to show off your paintings with pride (or to sell your paintings for a good amount of money!).
Creating gorgeous greenery is possible — you just need to get in on the secret! Heck, once you discover what we’re about to expose, you’ll be painting everything with a lot more confidence because the “secret” is all about using tried-and-true techniques that bring shape, color, and texture to all of your paintings!
The Mystery of Living Elements
Yes, trees, bushes, and plants have a mystical quality to them — each one possessing its own characteristics that make it different from the next. But the shape, depth, and texture can trick your eyes into seeing colors and shadows that just aren’t there … and, moments later, not seeing a finer feature that could really bring life. These difficulties are only magnified when painting outdoors, where you’re navigating the swaying branches and leaves while trying to predict the ever-changing sunlight.
These elusive elements can become enemies to artists who desire to capture the glory of nature but find it troublesome to get the details down.
Believe it or not, there are many accomplished landscape painters who still shy away from adding certain types of trees to their scenes. You may even have artist friends who swap out the actual trees for varieties they are more comfortable painting … maybe you’ve even used this workaround in the past!
But don’t give up, because if you’ve ever hesitated to paint plants and trees, you’re about to get really comfortable with it!
You’re going to discover how to create a natural rhythm in your artwork … a path for the admirers of your piece to follow as they take in every detail — the natural shapes, the roundness of the trunks, and the texture of the bark and leaves. Skills that will now carry over into all of your artwork.
As their eyes move through your paintings, they’ll see trees that are firmly planted in the ground rather than appearing as if they’re floating above it … every branch and leaf an easy replica of nature rather than a forced placement that only fills empty space. Perfectly imperfect trees that are both majestic and magical. And then they’ll see the glorious light shining through and be in awe of the real color of the shadows that are cast, not just the flat black that photographs often portray.
Capturing this level of detail is what will help you to never shy away from painting the living elements again, because you’ll know just what it takes to recreate their natural beauty in your landscapes.
These secrets will be revealed to you by acclaimed artist Bob Rohm, a lifelong landscape painter who is now sharing his finely honed skills with everyone wishing to become a great painter of trees.