Landscape Art depicts the main subject as a section, expanse, or wide view of natural scenery.

ART VOCABULARY

Foreground, Middleground, and Background – portions of a landscape composition from nearest to and farthest from the viewer.

Horizon Line – a line across the landscape that represents eye level (often where the land meets the sky); its placement determines where we seem to be looking from – a high place, or close to the ground. Sometimes the line itself is not visible because it is obscured by objects in the landscape like hills, trees, buildings, etc.

OBSERVE
(…………. = horizon line)

Placing the horizon line high in the composition accents the foreground and enhances the sense of distance.

Dividing a landscape in half by placing the horizon line across the middle of the composition is often considered breaking a rule of design, but it can work well for featuring mirror reflections in pond and lake scenes, or showing large mountain ranges with elaborate foregrounds.

A horizon line placed low in the composition features little foreground and concentrates on the vastness of the sky. Low horizons are effective for capturing dramatic skies, colorful sunsets, illuminated clouds, etc.

CONSIDER THIS: 6 tips for creating depth & distance in a landscape
An excerpt from Empty Easel – www.emptyeasel.com

1. Overlap various elements within your composition so that some are forced forward or backward in the scene.
2. Use less detail, texture, and definition when painting objects in the mid-ground and background of the landscape.
3. Paint with lighter values and less contrast for distant elements.
4. Use cooler colors to push elements farther into the background.
5. Use warmer, darker colors to bring elements forward into the foreground.
6. As elements recede in the distance, paint them at a much smaller scale than objects in the foreground.

Take a look at this landscape oil painting by Paul Cézanne for these examples:
Paul Cézanne, Mont Sainte-Victoire, 1882-1885, Metropolitan Museum of Art. Post-Impressionism

- The horizon line is just above center, creating more emphasis on the foreground and middle ground.
- The trees in the foreground overlap the architecture and mountains behind them, creating a sense that these elements are far into the distance.
- The bridge, houses and mountains in the middle and background are painted in less detail, lighter values and have little contrast.
- The trees in the foreground are painted in darker values and have more texture than the elements behind them.
- The trees and rooftop in the foreground are much larger than the elements behind them.

FUN FACTS: Related -scapes
Skyscapes or Cloudscapes – depictions of clouds, weatherforms, and atmospheric conditions
Moonscapes – shows the landscape of a moon
Seascapes – depict oceans or beaches
Cityscapes/townscapes – depict cities (urban landscapes)
Hardscapes – paved over areas; streets and sidewalks, business complexes, housing developments, and industrial areas

ACTIVITY
Using your medium of choice, create your own landscape art. Think about the placement of the horizon line in your composition. Use detail, overlapping elements, contrast, etc to create a sense of depth.

Share your landscapes with us! Post a link in the comments section of this page, or email them to us!

Download the “Landscapes” lesson

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