Acrylic Landscape Painting for Beginners: Complete Free Course

Welcome to the mothership free course for acrylic landscape painting. Beginning the journey is exciting, but building a solid foundation takes time, patience, and practice. And there’s one lesson about learning that everyone should know…

When I’m not slinging paint in the garage, people are often surprised to learn I used to be a competitive ballroom dancer and instructor. Teaching (and learning) ballroom wasn’t always smooth. One lesson I carried into art is simple: you have to regress in order to progress. That’s learning 101.

👉 If you’re brand new, you can start at the Acrylic Hub — it’s got all the free courses and guides in one place.

IMPORTANT: I HIGHLY recommend you take this course in small chunks, bookmark it, come back, and take on another piece. It's not going anywhere. Timestamps are below for each section. I've listed my materials below and you'll find my complete acrylic toolbox at the bottom of this post.

Watch: The entire landscape course is gift-wrapped into the one video below. Enjoy!

When you take on something new, the unfamiliar pulls you away from the comfortable steps you already know. Suddenly, what felt easy yesterday feels clumsy today. That’s frustrating—but it’s normal. You take a temporary step back so you can move forward even further later on.

The same is true in landscape painting. As you work through this course, some brushstrokes will feel awkward and some results may look worse before they get better. Don’t panic. Give yourself time to repeat lessons and trust the process. The breakthrough always comes after the struggle.

👉 This complete 9-hour course is right here in the video above.
Scroll down at your convenience to take in the demonstration images and more info for each section covered. Press play, and follow along step-by-step. No signup, no downloads—just painting together.

Why Choose Acrylics for Landscape Painting?

• Fast drying: learn more each session—no long waits like oils.
• Easy cleanup: soap and water, beginner-friendly.
• Versatile: Easy to expand with mixed media and collaging as you evolve and blossom into more creative ideas.

What You’ll Need (Materials Checklist)

(Feel free to adapt with what you already have—don’t overthink supplies.)

Drawing

• 2B & 4B graphite pencils
• Conté pastel pencil (optional)
• Large and small Sharpie (optional)

Paper

• Canson Pure White 123 lb drawing paper (used in demos)
• Some sections you can use sturdy scrap drawing paper

Heavy body acrylic paints

• Cadmium Yellow, Cadmium Red Light, Cadmium Orange
• Cerulean Blue, Viridian Green, Phthalo Green
• Yellow Ochre, Alizarin Crimson, Titanium White, Ivory Black

Brushes (Royal & Langnickel Zen, long handle)

• #6 Bright (Z43B), #8 Bright (Z43F), #1 Round (Z43R), #4 Round (Z43R)
• Feel free to use what you have, my complete acrylic painting toolbox is at the end of this article.

Lesson 1: Abstract Masses 101 — See Shapes, Not Things (0:00)

The foundation of every great landscape lies in simplifying. Learn to reduce complex scenes into light and shadow masses.

• Recognize shapes before details.
• Organize scenes into manageable blocks.
• Avoid common beginner pitfalls like too much detail in background, or vertical elements that are too light in value.

Lesson 2: Value Hierarchy — Depth, Focus, Drama (1:54:30)

Master value organization to give your landscapes punch.

• Identifying the lightest lights and the darkest darks.
• Create a general model for landscapes with darker values closer to or ground, and values decrease as it moves further away.
• Keep it chunky at this stage, no need to stress on unnecessary details
• We will have a look at Monet’s use of value for timeless impact.

Lesson 3: The Three Planes + Light & Shadow (3:28:32)

Structure your paintings with foreground, middle ground, and background.

• Build convincing depth with the three-planes system.
• Add light direction for clarity and mood.
• Practice assignment included.

Lesson 4: Atmospheric Perspective — Realistic Distance (4:34:34)

Depth isn’t just planes—it’s atmosphere. Learn how distance changes colors and values.

• Apply two essential color theories for landscapes.
• Mix colors for aerial perspective step-by-step.
• Study how masters used atmosphere to create space.

Lesson 5: Trees & Sky Holes — Structure Before Leaves (6:07:28)

Trees are less about leaves and more about structure.

• Simplify foliage into masses.
• Carve out sky holes for realism.
• Paint trees from block-in to final accents.

Lesson 6: Clouds & Skies — A General Model You Can Reuse (7:24:02)

Skies set the mood of every landscape. Learn a reusable model for painting clouds.

• Treat clouds as 3D forms.
• Use perspective for believable skies.

We will look at some of the Master's use of gradations for harmony.

Wrapping Up

Congratulations—you’ve just completed a 9-hour acrylic landscape course.

Bookmark this page, revisit the lessons anytime, and keep practicing. Remember: frustration and setbacks are just signs you’re leveling up.

Learn & Improve Your Acrylic Skills

• Acrylic Hub– Your go-to guide for tutorials, tips, and resources.
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Recommended Acrylic Painting Materials

• Princeton Catalyst Brushes – Flats (#6, #12), Rounds (#4, #8), Fan (#4), Liner Brush
  Durable synthetic bristles for versatile acrylic techniques
• Liquitex Heavy Body Acrylic Paint – Essential Colors
  Cadmium Yellow, Yellow Ochre, Alizarin Crimson, Cadmium Red Light, Ultramarine Blue, Cobalt Blue, Burnt Sienna, Titanium White
• Winsor & Newton Cotton Canvas
  Reliable stretched canvas for studio and plein air work
• Strathmore 400 Series Mixed Media Paper
  Heavyweight, acid-free paper for acrylic and mixed media
• Fabriano Artistico 140lb Cold Press Paper
  Excellent for acrylic, mixed media, and textured effects
• Blick Multi-Colored Painting Knife Set
  Variety of shapes for texture, scraping, and bold strokes
• Miscellaneous: Two pint-sized water containers, paper towels (from Home Depot or Walmart)
• Note: I use canvas or sturdy cardboard as my palette — no store-bought palettes needed.