A landscape isn't trees and clouds just lined up next to each other. It's an illusion of depth.
Your job is making a flat piece of paper look like it goes back for miles. Sounds harder than it is.
The secret? Stop trying to paint every blade of grass. Instead, simplify the scene into three distinct layers. Background (pale and blurry), middle ground (more defined), foreground (dark and crisp).
We're covering 10 steps that move you from blank page panic to painting landscapes with actual dimension. Begin with composition and a light sketch, then work through sky and distant hills, building forward until you reach foreground details and those final darks that tie everything together.
By the end, you'll understand how to paint watercolor landscapes that feel like they have actual depth and breathing room instead of flat shapes parked on paper.
Let's go.
Phase 1: The Setup (Composition & Sketch)
Great paintings start with a clear map.
Step 1: Frame Your View
Stop trying to paint the entire world. That's where beginners mess up.
You look outside or at a reference photo and immediately want to capture everything -the full horizon, every tree, all the clouds. Too much.
Grab a composition tool to crop the scene. This simple viewfinder blocks out everything except what's inside the frame. Suddenly you're not looking at a whole landscape. You're looking at one piece of it.
Hold it up. Move it around until something clicks. Maybe it's a line of distant hills. Maybe it's one dramatic tree against a pale sky. That's your hero -the main idea your painting is about.
Isolate that and everything else gets easier.
Step 2: The Rule of Thirds
Skip putting the horizon straight through the center of your paper. Dead center feels flat and static.
Move it.
Lower third: Use this when the sky is the star. Dramatic clouds, sunset colors, anything where the sky deserves the space.
Upper third: Use this when the land is more interesting. Fields, a winding path, a foreground with texture.
Ask yourself: is this painting about the sky or the ground? Then give that part more room.
Simple shift. Big difference in how the painting feels.
Step 3: Sketch Shapes, Not Things
Draw the shape of a forest. Not individual trees.
Draw the shape of a hill. Not rocks and grass covering it.
Beginners get stuck trying to sketch every detail. You don't need that. You need big, simple shapes that guide where your paint goes.
Keep your pencil lines light. The watercolor kit paints will cover them, but heavy lines show through and make everything look stiff.
Think masses. Think silhouettes. The details come later with paint, not pencil.
Phase 2: The Background (Atmosphere)
This is where how to paint landscape watercolor really begins -sky and distance.
Step 4: Wet the Sky
Before you add any color, wet the sky area with clean water.
Use a larger brush. Cover the sky section evenly, checking for any dry patches. Angle your board slightly so water spreads instead of pooling in one corner.
Common mistake: missing a patch. You don't notice until you add paint and suddenly there's a hard bloom where dry paper met wet paint.
Take your time here. A properly wet sky makes everything after this step easier.
Step 5: The Gradient Wash
Drop blue paint in at the top of your wet sky. Let it spread and fade toward the horizon.
Real skies work this way. Deeper blue overhead, paler near the earth. Mimicking that makes your painting feel natural.
You can tilt the board to help the paint flow downward. Not fading enough? Add more water. Too pale? Add more pigment.
This gradient is what makes how to paint watercolor landscapes feel spacious and airy instead of tight and flat.
Sunset? Go warm. Stormy? Use greys and purples. But the gradient principle stays the same -darker at the top, lighter at the horizon.
Step 6: Soft Horizons
While the sky is still damp, paint distant hills or mountains.
Use a cool, watery mix. Think tea consistency -lots of water, just a hint of pigment.
Touch your brush to the damp paper and watch the edges blur slightly. That soft edge is what makes the hills look far away.
Basic rule: distance equals lighter, cooler, less contrast. Close up equals darker, warmer, more contrast.
That's atmospheric perspective. It's how you fake distance on flat paper.
Keep your distant shapes simple. Don't add texture yet. Just soft, pale shapes that fade into the sky.
Phase 3: The Foreground (Depth & Detail)
Now we're layering. This is how to paint landscapes with watercolors that have real depth.
Step 7: The "Tea to Butter" Shift
Your background was watery. Almost transparent. That's tea consistency.
Now, for the middle ground, mix your paint thicker. Milk or cream consistency. More pigment, less water.
And for the very darkest accents in the foreground? Almost butter. Rich, concentrated color with minimal water.
This progression -tea to milk to butter -is what creates depth. Light washes in the back, richer paint up front.
If everything's the same consistency, everything feels the same distance away. Flat.
Shift your values. Shift your paint thickness. Watch the depth appear.
Step 8: Hard Edges
Let the paper dry completely before painting the middle ground.
Now use synthetic brushes to paint crisp shapes. Tree lines. Houses. Fences. Anything that needs definition.
The contrast between your soft, blurry background and these hard-edged middle shapes creates instant depth. Your eye reads it as "this is closer than that."
Don't blur every edge. You want some sharpness here. That's what pulls the middle ground forward.
Step 9: Connect the Shadows
Objects shouldn't float.
Every tree trunk needs a shadow connecting it to the ground. Every rock needs a shadow anchoring it to the earth.
Look at where your light is coming from. Shadows should all go the same direction. Consistent light source makes the scene believable.
Paint the shadow connecting the base of the tree to the grass. Paint the shadow stretching away from the rock. These connections ground your objects and make the landscape feel real instead of like cutouts pasted on paper.
Step 10: The Final Pop
Add your darkest darks right in the foreground. This is how to watercolor paint landscapes with punch.
Fence posts. Grass clumps. A rock edge. A path cutting through the field.
Use a small brush and thick paint. These sharp, dark details pull the viewer's eye forward. High contrast equals "close up."
One tip: stop before you think you're done. Overworking kills the glow. Wondering whether to add another detail? Skip it.
The starter set includes earth tones perfect for these finishing touches -browns, deep greens, near-blacks for shadows.
Collapsible content
How do you paint depth in watercolor landscapes?
How do you paint depth in watercolor landscapes?
Three tools: soft edges in back, hard edges up front. Cool pale colors far away, warm rich up close. Light contrast in distance, heavy contrast in foreground.
What is the best paper for watercolor landscapes?
What is the best paper for watercolor landscapes?
Cold press, minimum 140 lb. The texture helps with atmospheric sky effects and soft background washes. Hot press is too slick for most landscape work.
How to keep greens from looking fake?
How to keep greens from looking fake?
Mix them yourself instead of using tube green straight. Combine yellow and blue, then tone it down with earth tones like burnt sienna to knock back the brightness.
Should I paint the sky or ground first?
Should I paint the sky or ground first?
Sky first, usually. It's the lightest value and sets the mood. Plus you can let distant hills bleed softly into a damp sky for natural atmospheric perspective.
How to paint clouds in watercolor?
How to paint clouds in watercolor?
Either lift out pigment with a damp brush while the sky is wet, or paint around cloud shapes, leaving white paper. Both work depending on cloud type.
Why does my landscape look flat?
Why does my landscape look flat?
Your values are probably too similar. Not enough difference between background (light) and foreground (dark). Push the contrast. Make distances paler, make close-up areas richer.
How to fix a muddy landscape painting?
How to fix a muddy landscape painting?
Let it dry all the way first. Then layer a clean, single-pigment wash over muddy areas to unify the color and bring it back together.
Can I use masking fluid for landscapes?
Can I use masking fluid for landscapes?
Yes, for preserving whites like light hitting water, birch bark, or bright sky behind dark branches. Apply before painting, remove after everything dries.
Ready to Capture the View?
From the first wash to the final dry brush, landscapes are about layers.
Background light and soft. Middle ground more defined. Foreground dark and textured. That's the formula. The rest is just learning to see your scene in those three parts instead of as one overwhelming mass.
Your first dozen landscapes will probably feel wobbly. That's normal. You're training your eye to simplify instead of copy every detail. Keep going.
Struggling to choose a scene? The composition tool makes framing effortless. Crop out the chaos, focus on one idea. €12.95.
Need the right colors? The starter set has blues for skies, earth tones for hills, greens you can actually adjust instead of fighting. €30.95.
Stop staring at the blank page. Wet the sky. Paint the distance. Build forward. That's the whole method.
