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How to paint abstract misty landscapes

Calm and atmospheric, and perfect for building confidence with water, tone and letting go a bit.

Abstract landscapes0001.jpg
Aim of the session
 

These loose abstract landscapes are all about simplicity, atmosphere and suggestion rather than detail. We’re using soft washes, minimal brushstrokes and allowing the paint to do some of the work for us.


You can paint these in a single colour (Payne’s Grey is the easiest starter option and creates beautiful moody results), or experiment with alternative colour palettes – soft pinks and blues for sunrise skies, greens and neutrals for spring landscapes, or purples and indigos for a cooler winter feel.


Keep it simple. 



Materials
 

  • Watercolour paper, 300gsm cold pressed

  • Tube watercolours

  • Watercolour pencils (Optional)

  • Cut-up plastic loyalty / gift cards

  • Brushes (medium round + small detail brush)

  • Tissue / kitchen roll

  • Water pot

  • Sandpaper (for watercolour pencil texture)

  • Pencil

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Handy Hints

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Do a few of these and treat them as experiments.  Start with a single colour, paint a few and you'll gain more confidence with the water:paint ratios and colour mixing

Keep randomness and odd numbers in mind.  Our brains want to organise everything very neatly - resist.  When we repeat things in a painting - (trees), it's far more exciting to look at when there is lots of variety - do different size and height trees, vary the spaces between them, some low bushes, some heavy contrasty trees with some pale light ones.

Remember atmospheric perspective.  Things in the distance are misty, have much less detail and contrast and the colours are desaturated and lack vibrancy.  If you are doing a background, make sure is nice and soft and fades away - then your mid ground tree(s) will stand out. 

 

Colours:

 

Here are my suggested colour combos - feel free to experiment with your own:


Paynes Grey

Paynes Grey & yellow

Ultramarine Blue & Burnt Sienna
As above with Paynes Grey or indigo to get darker blues

Pthalo Blue, Purple,  & Sepia

Pthalo Blue, Sepia & Burnt Sienna

Cad red, sepia and ultramarine blue
Paynes grey, any yellow with some splashes of orange at the end

Cerulean Blue, yellow, Paynes Grey, indigo - optional orange splashes

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misty morning photo.jpg
Step 1 – The Sky Wash

  1. Draw a quick, barely there, horizon line.  Ideally around one third down from the top of the paper
     

  2. Create a small pool of watery paynes grey on your palette.  Saturate your largest brush in this puddle and using the side of your brush (bigger surface area) cover the sky area in this light wash.   Keep this layer light and watery – we are creating atmosphere.
     

  3. I always recommend painting with the biggest brush you can get away with.  Bigger brushes carry more paint and let you work quickly.   Allow this to dry fully before moving on.

Abstract landscapes.jpg
Step 2 – The Distant Trees

We’re going to paint some misty, hazy background trees - soft at the edges as if we are looking at them on a foggy morning.  Think about variety and interest,  different width and heights of trees,  space them randomly, avoid evenly spaced “matchstick” trees.

Run your plastic card into the neat paint - the thick paint that comes directly out of the tube
 

  1. Lightly wet the sky area again.  You need the paper wet enough but not too wet.  The paint should not roll around on the surface when you pick the paper up.  If there is too much water, tip your painting to the side and catch the run-off with a tissue
     

  2. Run the plastic card along your horizon.  Where the paint  touches the wet sky, the paint will run into this area and make trees and bushes for you.  You can introduce more paint or water, with a brush,  at the root of the tree.  This will help it grow.  Experiment here with the water to paint ratios and see what happens.  Pick your paper up and tilt it and watch the paint travel further.  If the paint runs out of control, use a tissue, softly to mop it back up.

    There is a paint and water balance here.  You’ll notice that the amount of water in the paint, on your brush and on the paper all contribute to the watercolour effects you’ll see.
     

  3. While still damp, use a cocktail stick or any handy pointy thing to scratch some branches into some of the trees
     

  4. The paper will be drying as time goes on.  As long as you have a sheen, you can still work with it.  I like to add some more concentrated paint to the base of some of the trees to darken them and get some variety in.​

Close up green tree.jpg
Step 3 – Mid ground Tree
 

Now mix a stronger, darker version of your colour.
 

I like to add a mid ground tree, about 1/3 in from the left had side of the page.  I keep it approximately the same height as the background trees but make it bigger and below the horizon line. 
 

  1. Wet the general area for the tree - slightly larger than you need to allow a soft fade at the edge of the leaves
     

  2. Use the same method as previously to grow the tree and make the colours stronger. 
     

  3. With a fine brush, pull down a trunk and with a damp brush, add a short horizontal sweep to connect the tree with the ground

Step 4 – Foreground and Contrast
 

To anchor the painting:
 

  1. Add a darker horizontal line or broken marks across the landscape to suggest an uneven landscape or snow drifts.
     

  2. Use a combination of dry brush and plastic card to create foreground texture.
     

  3. Suggest grasses or hedgerows with quick cocktail stick upward flicks
     

  4. Run watercolour pencils along sandpaper, to create interest in your hero tree and the foreground
     

  5. Maybe a few paint splashes (remember to cover your trees up first)
     

  6. Possibly a few birds in flight.  It’s your painting, you get to decide what looks good - but remember - less is more in watercolour :)

 

Key Reminders
 

  • Keep your first washes light
     

  • Don’t overwork it – stop before you think you should
     

  • Embrace soft edges and happy accidents
     

These paintings are about mood and movement rather than precision. Every version will look different – and that’s exactly what makes them beautiful.  Happy experimenting

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