Paint An Easy Watercolor Winter Landscape Scene From Imagination

To start your watercolor winter landscape scene, begin by painting the sky using a 1″ flat brush and a light blue color such as Cerulean Blue. We will use the wet-on-wet technique to create a hazy, atmospheric effect As you paint the sky, think about the direction of the light and how it will affect the appearance of any clouds and the overall mood of the scene. As you paint the sky, remember to leave a small rectangular shape unpainted to represent the cabin in the background.

Once you have painted the sky, you can begin to add in the background trees. To create a violet color, mix together Paynes Gray, Alizarin Crimson, and Ultramarine Blue. Or if you prefer you can use Dioxazine Purple but you may need to reduce the intensity of it with Paynes Gray. Then, while the sky is still wet use paint some rough tree silhouette shapes allowing the colors to blend and mix together as you go. Carefully paint around the white cabin shape. Add some texture to the trees by spattering clean water with a toothbrush on them.

Before you move on to the next stage of your painting, it’s important to allow the paint to dry completely. You can use a hairdryer to speed up the drying process, or simply wait for the paint to dry on its own.
Once the paint is dry, use your flat brush to paint in the shadows that define the path. You can use the same violet color as the background trees, this creates a sense of depth and dimension and leads the viewers eyes into the painting. As you paint the shadows, think about the direction of the light and how it will affect the appearance of the path and the surrounding landscape.

Next, you can add in some thin bare trees to the midground of your painting. To create a darker violet color, mix together Paynes Gray, Alizarin Crimson, and Ultramarine Blue in a creamier consistency than you used for the background trees. Then, use a rigger brush to paint the trees, starting with the trunks and then adding in the finer details of the outer twigs and branches. In the image above I’ve used the dry brush technique add some texture by breaking up the tree trunk.

Think about the direction of the light and the shape of the ground how it will affect the appearance of the shadows cast by the trees. You can use a lighter blue such as a Ultramarine thinned down to a “Tea” consistency.

To bring your watercolor winter landscape scene to life, you can add in some small, simple figures in the foreground, with a small round detail brush. I’ve used a touch of Alizarin Crimson and blended it into violet to give the impression that the figure on the left is wearing some type of red jersey. Try leaving some areas unpainted to create highlight. I like to leave a tiny little gap between the head (Basically just a small dot) and the shoulders.

To finish your winter watercolor landscape scene, you can add in some small dark details such as a line of fenceposts and small details on the cabin. These details will help to add realism and depth to your painting, as well as drawing the viewer’s eye towards the midground and background elements of your scene.
To add the fenceposts, use a small brush and a dark blue or violet color to paint in the posts, one at a time. You can paint them in a straight line or in a zig-zag pattern, depending on your preference. As you paint, be sure to leave some areas unpainted to create highlights and add depth to the scene.

To add small details to the cabin, you can use a similar technique. Use a small brush and a dark blue or violet color to paint in the details, such as windows, doors, and roof lines. You can also use a dry brush technique to create texture and depth in the wood and other materials.

I added some texture to the foreground by spattering some speckles of dark paint in the foreground with the toothbrush.

Finally, step back and take a look at your painting as a whole. Make any final adjustments or touch-ups as needed, and then you’re finished! With a little patience and practice, you can create a beautiful and realistic wintery watercolor scene that you can be proud of.