Landscape painting on location can be a very rewarding practice, though it can also present some challenges due to the ever-changing nature of the landscape and the elements. In this series, eight landscape artists from our Year-Long Online Landscape Course share their methods and top tips for landscape painting on location; from navigating colour to experimenting with composition, as well as tips on how to prepare your materials in advance for portability.
Imogen Bone teaching students at Cape Cornwall.
“I make a series of thumbnail sketches when on location. I use loose sheets of cartridge paper taped to a lightweight board. If you are encumbered by carrying too much equipment, you tend not to explore and move around. I take a simple kit made up of small pots of pre-mixed acrylic paint, a couple of different sized flat brushes, and a range of Caran d’Ache Neocolour crayons. Once the main body of the painting is laid down, I can tap in some directional marks, and indicate movement and light using the crayons on top. They are lightweight and easy to use. As well as making studies, I also take photographs of the viewpoints I’ve been working on. I print these out as thumbnails to use as reference, particularly for geographical accuracy. It is very important to get to know your subject, understanding how your chosen landscape is put together will help you to portray it in the language you wish to.”
Thumbnail studies by Imogen Bone.
Imogen’s Tips
- Make several studies of the same view but vary the compositions and focus for each study.
- Try using a limited palette to create a harmonious body of work that sits well together.
- When scaling up, remember to scale up your tools and marks, as well as the paper size.
- Be selective about what you are recording.
- Simplify your marks to one or two bold considered marks rather than lots of smaller indecisive ones.
Year-Long Online Landscape Course
The year-long online course has contributions from 16 respected landscape painters, each sharing filmed demonstrations. The artists have devised over 80 exercises for participants to complete alongside studio visits, professional development, and interviews. The pre-recorded course is delivered online over six sessions, directed and hosted by Anita Reynolds. The course is designed to be experienced from the comfort of your own studio/home, and with 18 months of access, you can really make the most of the wealth of information, exercises and tips from all of these respected landscape artists
Uniquely, the course also includes over 40 looped films of the locations these artists often visit for participants to paint from; of the coastline and moorland around Cornwall and Devon. There’s amazing drone footage, guidance, and countless tips on how to energise and improve your landscape painting practice.
View the Year-Long Online Landscape Course here.