Learn how to describe ecosystems in your nature journal using cross-sections, landscape thumbnails, maps, and block diagrams.
Category: Drawing Landscapes
Tips, tricks, and techniques to help you draw landscapes.
Let’s draw Oak Trees!
Let’s draw oak trees from the close, middle distance, and far! When we are close to the tree we sculpt a few branches and leaves, showing bark texture and some of the smaller twigs. From the middle distance, the objective is to show the masses of the leaves with a hint of leaf detail. On
How to Draw Water with Ballpoint Pen (video)
Have you struggled to draw water with pencils or pens? In this workshop, we will explore waves, ponds, rivers, reflections, beaches, waterfalls, and open ocean using your handy BIC pen. The pen techniques can easily be adapted to pencil if you prefer that medium. If you are enjoying my video workshops, consider making a small donation to
How to paint a sunrise landscape with a waterbrush.
I love painting with waterbrushes. They are now the only brushes I use, even in the studio. They easily create graded washes (an application of paint that transitions from more intense pigment to a pale tint) which I find everywhere in nature. As you paint, the pigment in the brush gets used up but the
How to paint clouds with a flat waterbrush
Flat brushes are incredible tools for creating the random edges of clouds. By twisting the brush between your fingers and rocking it to paint with edges or corners you build beautiful chaotic patterns. If you try to create these kinds of edges with a regular brush, you may easily fall into a pattern of regular
How to draw a Forest (video)
Learn how to draw distant evergreen forests and the view from within the woods. Here we explore layering values (from light to dark) and intentionally controlling the values and detail of each layer.
Sierra Sunset Landscapeito
There you are in the High Sierra. The sun has set over a nearby ridge and the light is beginning to fail. As you put on your hat and extra layers to prepare for the night, you look to the east and see the “Belt of Venus”. The blue line, low across the sky made
Color and Value (video workshop)
Color Gets All the Credit, Value Does All the Work Want to get more of a pop from your watercolors? Wish they were easier to use? Would you like an adaptable system to help you get your paint down on the paper? It is easy to get wrapped around the axle about accurately matching a
How to Draw Waves and Whales (video workshop)
Learn to sketch marine mammals as you see them in the field. Whether you draw from shore or head out whale watching, this class will help you capture the moments on paper. Learn relevant anatomy for artists and field sketchers to help you draw whales, seals, sea lions, and otters. Understand the series of shapes
5 Minute Landscape: Water Soluble Pen
Most pens are not waterproof. They bleed in the rain or turn a sky gray when overpainted with watercolor. But pen solubility does not have to be a liability. it can be a feature. After you make a quick pen sketch, stroke your pen lines with water to create a gray wash. Some brands make a