10 Beautiful Landscape Sketches by inspiring local Artists
Everyone loves a pretty landscape, especially us artists. If you want to draw and paint amazing meadows, forests or mountains it helps to have a look at some fabulous local artists, for inspiration and to learn from.
This week, we’re celebrating and supporting some of the most talented artists on Etsy, the website for selling handmade things made with skill and love, not in a factory.
Note that I am not an Etsy affiliate, so all recommendations are entirely my own and I receive no cut from the sale of any of these items.
Abstract Black & White Landscape
Abstract Black & White Landscape by DreamyMeisme via Etsy
This playful mix of free-flowing watercolour and neat pen is in equal parts simple and intricate. It’s also super stylish and fun to look at.
I’d bet my own brushes on it that London-based artist Elena Blanco used to doodle in any schoolbook and magazine she could get her hands on and all that practice brought her where she is now.
What can we learn from it?
The artist used watercolour to create an abstract, unconstrained starting point to develop more figurative, precise sketches. Everyone should occasionally ‘let the dice fall where they may’ and then turn it into great art.
Bird on Tree
Bird on Tree by CurlySheepStudio via Etsy
I just love this piece by German artists Inna and Leo from CurlySheepStudio (which, may I add, is a fantastic name for a shop). There aren’t many drawings that can sport a single object with no background and still keep my attention for this long.
The tree appears quite simple at first glance, but the longer you look at it the more you will notice how much thought and craft went into its beautiful swirls and patterns.
What can we learn from it?
It shows very clearly that both, realistic drawing and abstract sketching in different parts of a single work of art can be a great idea and there is no need to pick just one of these approaches.
Misty Pine Forest
Misty Pine Forest Dotwork by Br0kenLinesDesign via Etsy
Artist Eleisha-Jade Steadman spent 80 hours meticulously stippling to create this oh so lovely forest scene with a very impactful aerial perspective.
Looking at the work is almost as therapeutic as it must have been for her to create it and I so admire her skill and dedication.
What can we learn from it?
The first thing that comes to mind with this work is perseverance. 80 hours is a long long time to be working on one single piece, but the artist clearly had her eyes on the price and saw it through.
Yorkshire Landscape
Yorkshire Landscape by ElizabethAFox via Etsy
This inspirational sketch by artist Elizabetha Fox is in equal parts pretty and unsettling. A dark farmhouse ruin towers eerily on top of a hill with a small group of equally dark trees.
But the real star of the show is the long, almost wild grass in the foreground, leaning heavily in a strong wind. An effect, I believe, that she created with an eraser run through the charcoal. She also made the paper by hand, which is a nice touch.
What can we learn from it?
A very simple view can be turned into a stunning piece by means of changing the viewpoint (from below, rather than eye-level) and using that interesting eraser technique to create a moving pattern.
Lulworth Cove in Winter
Lulworth Cove in Winter by IanHedleyPencilArt via Etsy
Pencil artist Ian Hedley must have spent a long time completing this meticulous and stunning drawing of Lulworth Cove in East England. Not only is the subject itself super picturesque (it’s a famous tourist attraction), the quality of line and the realism are also quite impressive.
Especially the bush in the foreground is so well done that one can almost reach out and touch it, or run one’s fingers through that patch of dry winter grass.
What can we learn from it?
Being a little adventurous with a composition can really pay off. Those bare twigs in the foreground create an amazing perspective and bring the viewer straight into the scene.
French Hilltop Castle
French Hilltop Castle by ArtichokeInBloom via Etsy
This fun semi-abstract sketch of a French castle in a hilly landscape by artist Cindy Kuijpers is one of my favourite pieces in this collection. It’s just such a joyful thing to look at.
I love how she used some very well-placed blotches of brown paint and a few squiggly lines and it creates this super lively picture of rolling hills and pretty castles near the French border.
What can we learn from it?
Art need not always be super realistic and if you don’t want to colour inside the lines (figuratively or literally), then don’t. Have some fun instead, it’ll shine through and your viewers will be carried along.
Scottish Landscape
Scottish Landscape by HAMartwork via Etsy
Edinburgh-based artist Holly really managed to capture the wild, unrestrained spirit of the Scottish hills with this awesome pencil sketch. She separates the two main hills by means of shading and different linework, both inherently simple but amazingly effective.
And I just love how she uses shading to add a pattern to the grass squiggles in the front, masterfully making it look like clouds moving overhead, casting those shadows.
What can we learn from it?
The linework is as interesting and varied as the landscape it portrays and her technique shows not just a great deal of experience but also an understanding of the spirit of her subject. Also, Scotland is super pretty, in case you were not aware.
Minimal Landscape
Minimal Landscape by RedMoonDesignShop via Etsy
As a minimalist myself I might be a bit biased here, but I do so like a clean design. This wonderful sketch by Red Moon Design is a real eyecatcher and super relaxing to look at.
The simple colour combination, still adhering to the principles of aerial perspective, makes the view seem oddly comfortable. The general simplicity of the subject and colour really give the beautiful, rough paper a chance to shine and add interest to the composition.
What can we learn from it?
Simplicity does not equal boring. Instead, a neat, clear design can leave a lot of room for the viewer’s imagination.
Somerset with Gold Leaf Detail
Somerset with Gold Leaf Detail by StudioPinnock via Etsy
When looking through Etsy for some inspiration this piece by artist Emma Pinnock immediately caught my eye. I adore the colour combination of natural greys and blues, speckled with intense black and gold.
The paper is hand-made and definitely adds a little extra to the work, but the texture of the lines, especially in the cloudy sky, is just absolutely stunning.
Also note how well her signature works with the overall design. If you want to work on your own signature pop by my post How to create the perfect Signature for your Art.
What can we learn from it?
Experimenting is really the key to growing as an artist and here the use of different media (pencil, ink, pen and gold leaf) to create a broad range of textures is definitely exemplary.
Riverside Landscape
Riverside Landscape by ThisisRouse via Etsy
This mesmerising pen and ink drawing by UK-based artist Amelia is another fabulous source of inspiration. It’s made up entirely of very simple lines and stipples, but puzzled together into a super sophisticated, spirited composition that’s super pleasing on the eye.
Especially the huge clouds rising up behind the rather abstract hills are a real eye-catcher and lend a lot of power and movement to the piece.
What can we learn from it?
This is such a great example of how far you can come if you do the groundwork and master the individual components of a drawing, the lines, first and then learn to combine them beautifully into a superb piece like this.
For more tips and tricks have a look at my other landscape-related articles.
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