Landscape Painting

Inspiration & Exploration

You don't need to pick up a brush yet — just start looking. Search Instagram and Pinterest for "plein air painting Utah" and "landscape oil painting" to see how artists capture red rock canyons, alpine meadows, and the Wasatch skyline. Watch the YouTube channel **Lena Danya** and browse **The Virtual Instructor** for free beginner overviews. Check out r/painting on Reddit to see what real beginners are making. Visit the Utah Arts Alliance website to find local galleries showing landscape work near you. Notice which paintings make you feel something — dramatic storm clouds? Soft morning light on the Oquirrh Mountains? Save your favorites to a folder or notebook. You're ready for the next step when you can describe three specific things you love about two different landscape paintings.

Tools & Techniques

Now figure out your gear. Landscape painters usually start with either watercolor or acrylic — both are beginner-friendly and affordable. Watch **Makoccino's** beginner acrylic playlist on YouTube, or for watercolor try **James Gurney's** channel. The website **Jackson's Art** has free guides comparing mediums. You only need a warm and cool of each primary color, white, a few brushes, and a canvas pad or watercolor paper to get started. Check r/learnart on Reddit for honest gear recommendations. Visit **Blick Art Materials** online or a local store like **McGrath's Art Supply** in Salt Lake City. You're ready for the next step when you can name the supplies you'll start with and explain why you chose that medium.

First Creations

Time to make some paint go on something. Set up near a window or use a photo of a Utah landscape — Big Cottonwood Canyon, Antelope Island, or even your backyard. Don't aim for perfect; aim for "I made a sky and ground that look different from each other." Follow along with one beginner tutorial from **The Virtual Instructor** on YouTube. Mix colors on a paper plate if you don't have a palette. Mess up on purpose — paint over it and try again. The point is getting comfortable with how paint moves. Post your first attempt to r/learnart for encouraging feedback. You're ready for the next step when you've finished at least two small paintings from start to finish, even if they're rough.

Style Development

Pick a direction — do you love loose, impressionistic brushwork, or more realistic detail? Look up artists like **Jeremy Lipking** (realism) or **Wolf Kahn** (color-forward) for inspiration. Try copying a small section of a painting you admire — not to steal it, but to understand how it was built. Experiment with painting the same Utah scene twice using totally different color palettes. Watch **Florent Farges** on YouTube for color mixing deep dives. Join the **Utah Plein Air Painters** Facebook group to see local artists working outdoors in your neighborhood. You're ready for the next step when you can point to a specific stylistic choice in your work and explain why you made it.

Refine Your Craft

Now you start fixing the things that bug you. Study value — light versus dark — using the free **Ctrl+Paint** website, which has dozens of short focused videos. Learn to do a thumbnail sketch before you paint so you plan your composition ahead of time. Try painting outdoors at least once — grab your supplies and head to Liberty Park or Millcreek Canyon. Read **"Color and Light" by James Gurney** if you want a deep understanding of how light works in nature. Share work-in-progress shots on r/learnart and ask for specific critique on one thing at a time. You're ready for the next step when someone gives you a critique and you understand exactly what they mean.

Portfolio Piece

Choose a Utah landscape that genuinely moves you — the Salt Lake Valley at dusk, fall aspens in the Uintas, or ice on the Great Salt Lake — and give it your full effort. Do multiple small thumbnail sketches before committing to canvas. Photograph your process from sketch to final stroke. When it's done, post it to r/painting with a breakdown of your choices. Submit it to an open call like the **Utah Arts Festival** or hang it somewhere people will see it. Write a short caption explaining what the light and place meant to you. You're ready for the next step when you've shared this piece publicly and can talk through your artistic decisions with confidence.