4 Basic Rules for Easier Landscape Paintings
Painting realistic landscapes doesn’t have to feel complicated, but having a clear order of operations makes all the difference. In this post, you’ll learn four simple rules that help you simplify the painting process, create depth, and avoid common beginner mistakes.
In the video below, I break down these principles in a practical, easy-to-follow way—especially if you’re just getting started. This approach works whether you paint wet-on-wet or take a more traditional, layered approach like I teach my students. In other words, this isn’t about style—it’s about having a clear plan.
Rule #1 – Work Back to Front
A lot of painters struggle with landscapes simply because they don’t know where to start. This rule gives you a clear path forward.
(No pun intended… but I’ll allow it!)
Working back to front means starting with the far distance and gradually moving toward the foreground. Not top to bottom. Not left to right. Just far to near.
Once you get that mental model in your head, something important happens: you naturally start creating overlapping shapes. And overlapping shapes are one of the easiest ways to create the illusion of depth—which is essential for painting believable landscapes.
Rule #2 – Work Large to Small
This rule gives you permission to simplify before you refine—and most painters need that permission.
Shapes come before forms. So instead of jumping into details, start by blocking in the big, simple shapes you see in the scene.
Where painters often get stuck is focusing on the thing instead of the shape. A tree becomes “a tree” instead of an abstract mass of color and value. Try training yourself to see those elements as simple shapes first. The forms, edges, and details can come later.
Quick tip: If you’re having trouble seeing the big shapes, squint.
It’s not glamorous, but it works. Squinting removes detail and helps you see the underlying structure of the scene.
Rule #3 – Values before Color
Strong values give your painting structure and believability. Without them, even beautiful color won’t save the painting.
That’s why value is often more important than color—especially in landscape painting. If the values work, the painting works.
That’s one of the reasons I believe beginning with an imprimatura-bistre underpainting is very beneficial. This underpainting technique helps you establish your three core value families early on:
the lightest lights
the mid-tones
and the darkest darks
Once those are in place, color becomes much easier to manage.
Rule #4 – Work Dark to Light
Contrast is something beginners often struggle with—usually because they’re hesitant to go dark.
But here’s the truth: lights don’t look light unless there are darks nearby.
Your highlights only feel bright because of the darker values around them. So if your painting feels flat, it’s often because the darks never got dark enough in the first place.
Don’t be afraid of them. The darks aren’t the enemy—they’re doing a lot of the heavy lifting.
Want a Clearer Path for Learning Landscape Painting?
These four rules are part of a bigger foundation that helps painters make steady progress without frustration or guesswork.
If you’d like a clear, step-by-step introduction to painting realistic landscapes, you may enjoy my free workshop: Secrets to Painting Beautiful, Realistic Landscapes
