Watercolor Winter Landscape

Mixed Media Painting

Atmospheric Perspective
The effect the atmosphere has on the appearance of an object as it is viewed from a distance. As the distance between an object and a viewer increases, the contrast between the object and its background decreases, and the contrast of any marking or details within the object also decreases.

Getting Started
Tape the watercolor paper on all 4 sides using tape. Use a pencil to draw a thin line 1/3 of the way up for a hilly landscape.

Painting the Background

Using a dark purple or blue, lightly paint horizontal lines of color. Quickly wet the paper all the way to the top. Use another blue and then a teal or gray color to complete the skyline.

Adding the Moon

While the paper is still wet, dab a round coin wrapped in tissue onto a spot in the sky to make a moon. The tissue will absorb the excess water.

Painting the Midground

Then wet the area below the horizon. Using black or grey as the color, paint across the hills and in several areas under the skyline. Also paint some gray areas near the moon so they appear as clouds.

Painting the Trees using Acrylic

Allow watercolor to dry for a few minutes. Then apply white acrylic paint to create tree shapes on the hills. Brush the strokes upward and in thinner and thinner lines to make branches. You can also paint the trees in black acrylic paint but they will stand out on the painting. Try painting white over the black to achieve a more subtle grey tree.

Painting the Foreground

Add a pond in the foreground to give the picture more depth. Paint the dry paper using a lot of white with blue and grey. Use white acrylic paint at the edge of the snow along the pond.

Adding the snow effect

Using a dry sponge, lightly dab white acrylic paint on the tree branches for a snowy effect.