Drawing A Landscape

The ability to layer colors and draw fine lines makes colored pencils an ideal tool for illustrating landscapes. When combined with pastels, colored pencils can produce exquisite results. A pastel background can provide a lush, vivid base for layering a colored pencil drawing, or stand on its own depending on the effect you’re aiming for. 

The following watercolor illustrations incorporate a range of Prismacolor Premier Soft Core Colored Pencils to add dimension when drawing a landscape. Tools like these can help you bring realistic landscapes to life.

It is very important to consider the depth of the image that you are intending to capture when using mixed media to compose a landscape. Keep the furthermost reaches of your frame in mind when planning. Start by using broad strokes (of watercolor, in this case) to fill and texture background elements like the sky and foliage. Work from the outside of the canvas inward, filling the landscape with supporting features as you work towards the central piece of your work. 

In the image above, the artist used watercolor to lay down a nice, even, dark background layer. The lightless colors allow the contrasting, central element – the cascading mountain in this case – to stand out visually. 

Once you reach a level of comfort with the background components of the piece, you can work in the featured elements. Using the media of your choice, pen in the key points of the image. It is important to add broad detail at this point to delineate and define the centerpiece. Things should be coming together nicely at this point. 

In the drawing above, the artist worked inward towards the focal point of the waterfalls. She then used colored pencils to add finishing touches. Use your Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils to add layers, burnish, detail, and fine-tune highlights for a well-planned and well-drawn landscape.