How to Paint Large Landscapes

Sketch, Sketch, Sketch
The Painting, "Range of Light" is based on a plein air painting and photographs of the Sierra Nevada Mountains just north of Mammoth Ski Resort in California, USA. In the pencil sketch seen here, which was the final version of approximately 6 that I did one night which watching "The Voice", I have arranged trees and bushes, mid-ground and background mountains to display a depth of field and accent to the main subject, which is the mountains. I cant express enough how important it is to keep sketching ideas before you commit to a large canvas. Keep working the idea until it feels right.

Get Your Line Work Established
This is the rough sketch on the 20"x24" canvas for the final design layout. I first laid down a blue-gray wash so that I didn't find myself fighting against the white background later on. Notice that I changed the foreground lead in from a path through the brush, to a road. It just felt right. My family camped in this valley when I was a kid and it felt like reliving my childhood.

Layout The Color
This is where the plein air painting  is worth the time spent fighting with the wind and bugs. I personally don't have the ability to remember color and value accurately. I can't lay down correct color without a solid reference painting, (this is also where weekend painters and serious professionals begin to part ways. Go to a local art show and see the work verses what the professionals are selling in a gallery. The difference is spending lots of time outside capturing correct color, combined with lots of time studying the books by Edgar Payne and John Carlson.)

Finished Painting
As a finishing touch, I added the morning sun as it begins to touch the top of the mountains. This is a magic time in the Sierra's and I wanted to bring a focal point to the tops of the peaks.
Note the design elements used here: the road leads you into the mountains, the trees provide depth of field. The mid ground hills set the stage for forest and open snow covered areas. The mountain is distant, cold, snow and granite covered. The sunlight takes your eyes all the way to the top. I also left some open spots of raw canvas showing through in the sky; it acts as a cross-over from the morning sky to the sun-lite snow.