A Shade of Art

Landscape paintings are often found in many government office buildings in most downtown metropolitan areas. They leave an impression of a subtle, yet poetic beauty captured on a canvas.

Oil paint incorporates a perfect combination of hue and saturation into a subject and helps blend in the foreground and shadows.

This blog will cover 14 landscape ideas for beginner oil-based artists.

Lake Forest

A lake is too dull and flat, and a forest is too plain and repetitive. Combine the two, and you will get a lake forest. Sounds lame, I know, but a lake forest provides a variation of some basic colors with line and height dimensions.

Colors used: Forrest green, brown, red, blue, white, and charcoal.

Desert

Thirsty? You will be looking at this piece for more than 10 seconds. This idea works well if you have clients living in the American Southwest, such as Arizona, New Mexico, and Nevada.

Colors used: Red, brown, yellow, dark green, white, and black.

Mountains

America is associated with freedom of speech and the right to vote for all its citizens. And that’s great, but we can also take a moment to appreciate a terrain that makes up a large portion of this country: Our mountains. This is what truly makes America great!

Colors used: Beige, green, white, auburn, teal, turquoise, black, and charcoal.

A tropical Beach

Viewing a picture of a tropical beach is the closest I’m going to get to a vacation. Have you seen our gas and food prices!

Colors used: Green, white, auburn, teal, turquoise, black, and charcoal.

Farm

I know growing vegetables and tending to the farmhands isn’t exciting. However, it beats rushing to work to get laid off, find a new job, get laid off again, and finally land a job that underpays you. You will soon realize you’re better off raising a chicken yourself than buying 2 cartons of eggs in the grocery store. Apply this frustration to your artwork and let the art community know the struggle.

Colors used: Orange, white, teal, navy, black, tan, and forest green.

Swamp

Do you think this is an odd idea? Well, art isn’t limited to creativity. What some art enthusiasts find obscure in a swamp landscape painting, other observers may look at it a little more objectively. If you stay in the southeast region, like Mississippi or New Orleans, this can be a good homage piece.

Color Used: Green, brown, teal, white, and black.

Snow hills

You would think that, seeing 10 inches of snow outside, the school officials would call in a “snow day” for the children. Unfortunately, I had to walk through this growing up in the west suburbs of Chicago.

Good times. This is a great vintage piece for any generation.

Color used: White, light navy, green, teal, auburn, and black

A pebble beach

Money. Money. Money. I wish I had it…for rent. Anway. I can borrow a room for a weekend and feel inspired by his piece.

Color used: Teal, red, burgundy, grey, light blue, light grey, black, and white

City lake front

I want you to take a good look at this example. Remember it because this skyline will probably collapse into rubble in a new dystopian future if everyone keeps investing in crypto!

Colors used: Grey, navy, blue, black, white, and teal.

Villa

Olive oil, bakeries, pizza, spaghetti, and beautiful brunettes will all fit in a villa landscape piece. Oh, how I would love to visit Venice, Italy.

Color used: Red, green, teal, red, white, grey, black

Canyons

The Midwest region can inspire everyone: young lovers, bookworms, veterans, and tourists. And artists. If time to make a trip!

Colors used: Red, yellow, orange, black, white, blue, and white.

Train yard

Urban decay always adds a bit of touch of reality to your artwork. I called it a ‘beautiful-ugly’ version of life.

Colors used: Black, white, grey, green, and auburn.

A riverbank

I grew up near Lake Michigan, so I know a lot about lakes. Rivers? I recommend you follow a path to Mississippi and find inspiration there.

Colors used: Blue, white, grey, and black.

Plateau

A simple and easy idea for beginners. A plateau is a section of land mass that has a higher elevation than the surrounding terrain.

Colors used: Blue, white, yellow, and orange.

Landscape art provides a calm, relaxing atheistic in your home or office space. People often buy these pieces because these portraits resonate with their childhood or their previous or current residence.

So go and create today!