Add Atmosphere to a Landscape Painting

Try following these principles in a small thumbnail painting, like I did in this video! Doing these little, low-stakes experiments can help you see how to make big changes in your larger works.

*For a more in-depth look at the principles of atmospheric perspective, check out this blog post: Painting Landscapes with Atmospheric Perspective

Photographs often feature flat colors that don’t compare to real life, and don’t tell you anything about the depth of the scene. Learning the rules of atmospheric perspective can help you take any boring reference and make it interesting and lifelike! In this time lapse, I create a tiny sketch in oil paint to demonstrate how to make the painting better than the photo by changing the colors and values. Practice small sketches like this, and then apply the ideas to a larger painting. 

MATERIALS USED IN THIS DEMO:

9 Pieces Artist Paint Brushes Nylon Filbert: https://amzn.to/3I5r6QA
Grey Matters Disposable Palette: https://amzn.to/3lkuoWg
Gamsol Odorless Mineral Spirits: https://amzn.to/3I52sQ5
Rembrandt Cadmium Red Deep: https://amzn.to/3xWaTIM
Rembrandt Cadmium Yellow: https://amzn.to/3GepbYa
Winsor & Newton Ultramarine Blue: https://amzn.to/3ErSbeB
Gamblin Titanium White: https://amzn.to/3dkDjmf
**Note: These may be affiliate links and I may receive a commission from purchases. It’s an easy way to support my channel and help me continue to make more videos! I only recommend products I use and believe in.

If you want to learn about atmospheric perspective in-depth, and the keys to painting realistic landscapes, skies, clouds, and water, check out the Land & Sky Video Course.

Thanks for reading and happy painting!

Lacey