Mastering Mountainous Landscapes: Painting Peaceful Lake Views

Painting a mountain scene with a lake requires planning and preparation. It is important to decide on the composition and focal points of the painting before beginning. Some artists recommend sketching the scene first, experimenting with different designs and compositions, and studying the work of master artists such as Edgar Payne. When painting a mountain scene with a lake, it is essential to consider the depth and atmosphere of the painting, using colour and tonal values to create a sense of distance and space. The sky is often painted first, setting the tone for the rest of the scene, and the mountains themselves may be blocked in using dark, saturated colours, with highlights added later. The water of the lake can be painted using a mixture of ultramarine blue, yellow oxide, and titanium white, reflecting the sky and clouds, and a flat brush can be used to apply highlights to the peaks and troughs of the water.

Planning and sketching

Planning:

Before you put brush to canvas, take time to envision the story you want to tell with your painting. Decide on the elements you want to include, such as mountains, a lake, trees, clouds, or reflections. Consider the composition and focal points to create depth and atmosphere effectively. Think about the colours you want to use and how they will work together to convey the desired mood and perspective. Planning will help you avoid compositional issues later on.

Sketching:

Start by sketching out the composition of your mountain lake scene. Experiment with different designs and perspectives. You can use pencil sketches, Photoshop, or fill a sketchbook page with thumbnail designs. Try adding and subtracting elements until you're happy with the composition. This step ensures you have a solid foundation for your painting and reduces guesswork later on.

Once you're satisfied with your composition, create a final sketch on your canvas. Prepare the canvas by covering it with a layer of burnt sienna mixed with Liquin Original to add warmth and vibrancy to your colours. You can also use burnt umber. Sketch the basic scene using burnt umber mixed with Liquin. Let this layer dry for a couple of days before beginning painting.

Begin blocking in the painting by establishing the sky and its tonal values. Mix cobalt blue, cobalt teal, and titanium white for the open sky, and use titanium white for the basic cloud shapes. As you work, remember that depth is achieved by making values lighter as they recede, creating the illusion of distance.

Block in the distant landmasses and mountains, using desaturated colours and considering the tonal values between shadow areas and highlighted regions in full sun. Mix ultramarine blue, burnt umber, quinacridone magenta, and titanium white, adjusting the colours to match the values in your reference photo or imagination.

Continue refining your sketch by adding the snow on the mountain tops, using titanium white with a touch of burnt umber to prevent it from standing out too much. If needed, add a hint of ultramarine blue. For a green foliage effect at the mountain's base, mix ultramarine blue with yellow oxide, quinacridone magenta, and titanium white. This mixture will create a warm grey that appears green next to the shadow areas, preserving the depth of the scene.

Painting the sky

Choose Your Colours:

The colours you choose for your sky will depend on the time of day you wish to depict, as well as the overall colour scheme of your painting. For a daytime sky, a combination of blues and whites is typical. You can mix different shades of blue to create a vibrant sky, using colours such as cobalt blue, cobalt teal, and titanium white. If you want to paint a sunset, you can use oranges and yellows, blending them to create a vibrant sky.

Plan Your Composition:

Before you begin painting, it is essential to plan your composition and determine the placement of your focal points. This will help you decide how to paint your sky effectively. For example, if you want the focus to be on the mountains, you can use darker shades in the sky to make the mountains stand out.

Paint the Clouds:

Start by blocking in the basic shapes of the clouds using a lighter version of your underpainting, with a bit of blue to tone it down. Keep in mind that the clouds should not be brighter than the snow-capped mountains, or they will compete for attention. You can also add cloud shadows by mixing a bit of blue, burnt sienna, perylene crimson, and titanium white.

Paint the Surrounding Sky:

Mix a light blue with Phthalo blue and white for the surrounding sky. You can shape the mountains with your sky by adding a bit of the blue mixture to the mountain peaks, creating an illusion of depth and strengthening the perspective.

Add the Sun:

If you wish to include the sun in your sky, use your finger to smear a large, blurry circle, and then paint a small white circle inside. You can also reflect the sun in the lake by using a bright brush and titanium white to paint reflection lines. The lines closer to the horizon line should be smaller and closer together, while the lines further down the lake can be longer and more spread out.

Final Refinements:

Once your sky is painted, you can make any final refinements to ensure it complements the rest of your painting. Remember that the sky is reflected in the lake, so the colours and tones should match. You can also add highlights to the illuminated rock faces and grassy areas to enhance the overall effect.

Blocking in the mountain

To block in the mountain, you should first prepare your canvas. Cover it with a layer of burnt sienna, which adds warmth and vibrancy to the colours. Burnt umber can also be used. Leave the layer to dry for a couple of days. Next, sketch the composition with burnt umber mixed with Liquin Original, which improves paint flow and drying time.

Now, you can start blocking in the sky to set the scene. Mix cobalt blue, cobalt teal, and titanium white for the blue of the open sky. Block in the basic shapes of the clouds with titanium white and, once dry, build up the detail.

When blocking in the mountain, start with the shadow areas. The most distant landmass should be desaturated in colour to create depth. Mix ultramarine blue, burnt umber, quinacridone magenta, and titanium white, with a small amount of burnt umber to knock out the saturation of the blue.

For the snow on top of the mountain, mix titanium white with a bit of burnt umber. Adding a little ultramarine blue can also help. Be careful not to use too much white, as it is the lightest tone and will bring the element forward in the painting.

For the green area of foliage at the bottom of the mountain, mix ultramarine blue with a small amount of yellow oxide, quinacridone magenta, and a liberal amount of titanium white. This will appear as a warm grey on your palette but will look green next to the shadow areas. Keep colours, including green, desaturated to maintain the illusion of depth.

Painting the lake

Painting a lake in a mountain scene requires a thoughtful approach to colour and composition. Before you begin, it is recommended that you sketch out the composition and then create a final sketch. This will help you create a good composition before you start painting. You can also experiment with different designs by using Photoshop or printing a photo and re-marking it.

Start by painting the sky, which will set the overall scene for the picture. You can use a combination of cobalt blue, cobalt teal, and titanium white for the blue of the open sky. Block in the basic shapes of the clouds using titanium white and, once dry, start building up the detail.

Next, block in the shadow areas of the mountain, using ultramarine blue, burnt umber, quinacridone magenta, and titanium white. The burnt umber knocks out the saturation of the blue. You can then start blocking in the mid-ground. At this stage, you don't need to worry about detail; just focus on getting the basic shapes and colours of the painting before you begin modelling the paint.

Now, add the snow on top of the mountain, using titanium white mixed with a bit of burnt umber. Adding burnt umber prevents the lightest tone from coming too far forward in the painting. If needed, you can also add a little ultramarine blue to the mix.

The green area of foliage at the bottom of the mountain can be mixed using ultramarine blue with a small amount of yellow oxide, quinacridone magenta, and a liberal amount of titanium white. This will appear green when next to the shadow areas of the mountains. Keep colours, including green, desaturated, so you don't lose the illusion of depth.

Finally, add the lake. The water will mostly reflect the sky and clouds, so mix ultramarine blue, a small amount of yellow oxide, and titanium white. The water is naturally rich in minerals and mountain debris, which can make the lake look turquoise, so you can add a little phthalo green if needed. Use a No. 2 flat brush to apply the highlights to the peaks and troughs of the water in small sweeping brush marks.

Final touches

Now that you've sketched out the composition and blocked in the basic shapes and colours, it's time for the final touches.

First, add the snow shadows using a cool blue colour. There will be plenty of crevices to fill, all the way from the distant peak to where the mountain meets the lake. Mix some white into your cool blue mixture to make the snow colour cleaner and brighter. You can use a heavier, dry brush technique for this, and even add some plain white with a bit of the underpainting showing through.

Next, add some highlights to the rocks, water, and foliage. Use your lightest values for this, and remember to save some of the white space to ensure that the lightest areas don't come too far forward in the painting.

Finally, if you're painting houses or other man-made structures, add these in the mid-ground to complete the painting.

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