Here are some of my biggest takeaways and top tips if you’re thinking of giving landscape drawing a go:If the thought of drawing a landscape makes you instantly panic about greens, skies, or trees, you’re not alone. Landscapes can feel overwhelming, especially when you’re more used to drawing fluffy fur or glistening eyes.

But here’s the thing: drawing landscapes doesn’t have to be scary. In fact, it can be one of the most relaxing, freeing things you do with your pencils.

🌤 1. Start Small (Really Small!)

Tiny drawings are underrated! Working at a smaller scale helps you loosen up, avoid getting bogged down in detail, and makes it much easier to finish something in a sitting. This is especially helpful with landscapes, where too much detail can quickly become overwhelming.

✏️ 2. Sketch with Gentle Confidence

Whether you’re using Cold Grey 2, Platinum, or just a pale blue-grey keep your early marks light and loose. Clouds, hills, foliage they’re soft and organic. Circular pencil strokes and light pressure will help everything feel natural and textured, not harsh or forced.

🎨 3. Mix Up Your Greens

Greens are notoriously tricky. Don’t be afraid to layer multiple greens to get the right tone. Earth Green, May Green, Permanent Green Olive, they all have their place. Mix in a little Raw Umber or even Cold Grey to tone things down and create depth.

And remember: your landscape doesn’t have to match the photo exactly. You’re capturing the essence, not replicating every blade of grass.

🖌 4. Embrace the Layers

Landscapes are built in layers. You’re not going to get a perfect result from your first pencil stroke and you don’t need to. Start light, build gradually, and keep adjusting. Burnishing with a light pencil (like Chinese White or Arctic) can really help blend things and give a polished look, but it’s totally optional.

☁️ 5. Clouds Are Your Friend

Clouds are a brilliant place to practise softness. Don’t map them out rigidly. Just sketch the shapes in gently and build them up in layers. Round and round, gentle pencil strokes that’s all you need. Think “wispy and fluffy,” not “structured and perfect.”

🐑 6. Less Detail, More Impression

You don’t need to draw every sheep hair or every stone in a wall. Sometimes the suggestion of detail is all you need – especially in the background. Let your viewer’s imagination fill in the gaps. It gives your drawing breathing room and makes it more relaxing for you to create too.

💛 7. Don’t Rush (And Be Kind to Yourself!)

One of the most important lessons? Don’t rush. Landscapes are about enjoying the process, being in the moment, and letting your creativity breathe. Whether your clouds are fluffy or a bit wild, or your grass looks more abstract than real, just go with it.

You’re learning. You’re experimenting. And that’s where the magic happens.

Check out my youtube video to watch me draw a tiny landscape for the first time in coloured pencils: https://youtu.be/xAkrK8oY5L8?feature=shared