Landscape Painting in Acrylics - Online Courses - Adult Learning

Landscape painting course guides you through the process of creating an expressive contemporary landscape in acrylics. The course will help you to become more confident using acrylics, with tuition provided through a mixture of demonstrations and exercises according to your needs. The course is suitable for beginners and improvers. Through a structured series of lessons, demonstrations, and practical exercises, learners will explore how to interpret and capture the essence of the landscape—from bold, abstract impressions to more representational scenes. The emphasis will be on expression, experimentation, and personal response to landscape, rather than rigid realism.

During the course, learners will:

• Gain confidence in handling acrylic paint—understanding its properties, drying times, layering potential, and how to use mediums for texture and transparency.

• Learn to simplify complex scenes—breaking down natural forms like trees, skies, water, and fields into essential shapes and values.

• Develop colour mixing skills—with a focus on mixing naturalistic and expressive palettes that reflect mood, season, or time of day.

• Explore expressive brushwork and mark-making—using a variety of tools such as brushes, palette knives, sponges, and even unconventional tools.

• Study composition and design principles—including how to lead the viewer’s eye, create depth, and establish a strong focal point.

• Work from reference materials or imagination—using photos, sketches, or memories to inspire unique and personal landscape interpretations.

What you will need to bring to the course:

Acrylic or watercolour sketch pad paper

white acrylic gesso

30x 40cm or A4 stretched canvas

acrylic paint

synthetic brushes

photo references. (landscapes)