Landscape Painting Tips From A Still Life?

Landscape painting tips are totally different from still life painting tips. You can't mix and match.

You can't learn to paint one genre and expect to use that same knowledge in another genre.

Total waste of time. Or is it?

In my view landscape painting tips and still life painting tips should simply be called art painting tips.

The problems in both genres are much the same, and the solutions to those problems are very similar.

I'll dive into why in just a moment, but first…

This topic of landscapes and still lives surfaced after a business trip last week to Sedona, Arizona.

I didn't know anything about Sedona.

But, my wife has long wanted to visit this desert resort town.

And after our first glimpse of the towering red cliffs surrounding it, I understood why.

 The retreat we attended was well outside of town, so the spectacular scenery wasn't a distraction.

For two days, we only got to see it in the evening.

When our host took us into town for dinner.

But, immediately after dinner it was back down the now dark, miles-long dirt road to her house.

Past hundreds of prickly pear cactus grimly guarding her lengthy "driveway".

Another interesting note: it's been a very long time since I've been any place where people didn't lock their doors when they went out.

Refreshing.

Equally refreshing was having a little time after the retreat to explore more of the area.

More rugged cliffs striated with alternating layers of red and grey.

Which brings up the problem of trying to paint a subject like this.

How do you paint something that can test your core art skills to the max?

And paint it in a way that expresses what you felt in the presence of these giants?

It can be hard.

This is where landscape painting tips and still life painting tips coincide. The things I showed you using still life paintings the last two blog posts apply here as well.

To help you develop core art skills, I've found that it can often be easier and more interesting to come in closer to a subject like this.

There is so much detail in these photographs. How much of that detail do you really need?

Rather than trying to do a vast panorama, simplify it.

Pick a smaller part of the big picture. Move in closer for a more intimate perspective.

Like I did in these two still life paintings – this one and this second one.

You could call this simple suggestion a landscape painting tip or you could more correctly call it art painting tip #1.

More to come on this.

Best Wishes,
Gary Gumble
Founder of BeginningArtist.com
Without art the crudeness of reality would make the world unbearable. (George Bernard Shaw

P.S. Because I want to support you in your journey through art, starting next week I'm going to offer my readers a special freebie.

I'm going to block out a certain amount of time each week where you can sign up for a twenty-minute phone or Skype mentoring call.

Ask me questions. Solve problems. Get feedback about what you're working on.

Whatever you need.

More details about this next week.