Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
A strong landscape painting does not always begin with a spectacular subject. Sometimes it starts with an ordinary road, a few trees, and the right kind of light.
☕ Get your Nano Espresso Machine with a discount.https://art.malcolmdewey.art/OutIn - Use the code: Malcolm
🍵or get it on Amazon: amzn.to/3T6H0Ed
In this video, I show how to look at an everyday landscape scene and recognize the important painting elements: strong value structure, dominant mass shapes, dark shadows, and light contrast. The photo reference was taken in late afternoon, when the shadows are longer and the light is more dramatic than at midday.
I will explain how to simplify the scene into large dark, middle, and light value groups before beginning the painting demonstration. You will see how the dark tree masses, road shadows, bright sky, and sunlit accents can be arranged into a strong composition.
The goal is not to copy every leaf or detail, but to improve your observation and learn to see the abstract design beneath the scene. Once you can see the big shapes and values clearly, your landscape paintings will have more strength, atmosphere, and impact.
In this lesson you will learn:
How to spot a paintable landscape in an ordinary scene
Why late afternoon light creates better shadow patterns
How to simplify a reference into big value shapes
How dark shadows help make the lights appear brighter
How to block in a landscape painting with stronger structure
Perfect for artists who want to paint looser, stronger, more light-filled landscapes.
00:00 Introduction
00:49 What is the subject?
01:43 Sponsor - Espresso Machine
03:38 Use late afternoon light
04:07 Use value, mass shapes
05:09 Compose the scene
05:52 Demonstration of the painting process
06:26 Notan study
07:55 Color study
16:19 Adding a figure
17:47 Final painting
A strong landscape painting does not always begin with a spectacular subject. Sometimes it starts with an ordinary road, a few trees, and the right kind of light.
☕ Get your Nano Espresso Machine with a discount.https://art.malcolmdewey.art/OutIn - Use the code: Malcolm
🍵or get it on Amazon: amzn.to/3T6H0Ed
In this video, I show how to look at an everyday landscape scene and recognize the important painting elements: strong value structure, dominant mass shapes, dark shadows, and light contrast. The photo reference was taken in late afternoon, when the shadows are longer and the light is more dramatic than at midday.
I will explain how to simplify the scene into large dark, middle, and light value groups before beginning the painting demonstration. You will see how the dark tree masses, road shadows, bright sky, and sunlit accents can be arranged into a strong composition.
The goal is not to copy every leaf or detail, but to improve your observation and learn to see the abstract design beneath the scene. Once you can see the big shapes and values clearly, your landscape paintings will have more strength, atmosphere, and impact.
In this lesson you will learn:
How to spot a paintable landscape in an ordinary scene
Why late afternoon light creates better shadow patterns
How to simplify a reference into big value shapes
How dark shadows help make the lights appear brighter
How to block in a landscape painting with stronger structure
Perfect for artists who want to paint looser, stronger, more light-filled landscapes.
00:00 Introduction
00:49 What is the subject?
01:43 Sponsor - Espresso Machine
03:38 Use late afternoon light
04:07 Use value, mass shapes
05:09 Compose the scene
05:52 Demonstration of the painting process
06:26 Notan study
07:55 Color study
16:19 Adding a figure
17:47 Final painting
