Videos - Design

To create successful paintings, every artist needs to first master the basics of design and composition. In this workshop, Ian will show you how to arrange your colors and shapes to lay the groundwork for a realistic and successful finished work. To do this, there are two main rules Ian encourages you to follow. First, learn to keep the viewer's eye within the picture plane using strategic composition rules. Second, discover how to translate the three-dimensional scene you observe into a convincing two-dimensional work full of depth. You'll be surprised how much these two rules improve your painting—and how easy they are to master!

Preview Design: Landscape Painting Techniques for Success now for painting tips on how to make your painting exciting with a push and pull of vertical and horizontal lines, and how to manipulate your subject to lead the viewer to your focal point and around your painting.

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Design: Landscape Painting Techniques for Success is broken into these five basic chapters:

1. See the World as Color Shapes
   Learn to simplify what you see so you can translate it easily into your paintings.
2. Set the Picture Plane
   Become a master of composition and learn to crop your composition so it captivates viewers and keeps their eye engaged within your work, not wandering outside it.
3. The Importance of Verticals
   Ian will teach you the importance of verticals and methods for creating a center of interest in your work.
4. Roadmaps of Intentions
   Go into your painting with clear intentions of what you hope to create—if you're unsure of your goal going into your work, you'll likely be dissatisfied with your finished product.
5. Final Design Tips
   Wrap up with final design tips, including how to avoid alignment with the edges of your picture plane, accurate depictions of where objects sit in space, and how to create good balance in your work.

To get the most out of your landscape paintings, make sure you take a look at the other video workshops in this series:

Color: Landscape Painting Techniques for Success

"Wow! What a dynamic presentation. Mr. Roberts clearly and enthusiastically presents the fundamentals for creating a dramatic landscape. I learned so much in this video that I'm running now to implement them in my paintings. I'm 100% positive that my paintings will be much improved. I can't wait to see the difference in my landscapes."

"Outstanding. I have been taking watercolor lessons for three years, and our instructor has taught some of these same things about design and composition, but this video brings it all together in a clear and interesting way. The use of example photographs, drawings, and paintings helps the viewer grasp the ideas as they are presented. Thanks!"

"Absolutely enlighten about composition."

"I was very impressed with the presentation of the information in the video and know it will help me work through composition and perspective issues. Many practical examples showing the concepts - really well done. I think I actually get it because of the way it was taught - as much of the basics I have heard and read before. This video cements it into my brain and now I will use this for the next 50 paintings............."

"This is one of the best videos I have ever seen on the importance of design. He is an outstanding teacher; and I would love to attend one of his workshops. I really hope more of his other videos will be shown on this website as he has so much to offer."

"This video was extremely helpful in understanding the whole pre-painting process. It was as though he were talking to me... slow down, think more than paint, the brush will not fix the problem! I'm a beginning painter trying to learn on my own through resources available online and this video is a goldmine of information. Thank you so much. I will put this into practice!"

"This video both explains the theory of composition AND shows it in action. Extremely practical and something you'll put to use immediately. I just got his book and it is also excellent. Thank you Ian for tackling one of the most poorly explained topics in the art world. btw, photographers will also find his videos helpful."

"5 This guy was born to teach. He takes you into the lesson the way he teaches you how to get into a painting. All the ideas that he presents are explained and carried forward to completion. I will be reviewing this video many times before beginning a painting."

"I think I'm in love!! I have been an artist for many years, read books, listened to speakers, but Ian Roberts explains this complex subject intelligently and thoroughly, and he has you in the palm of his very experienced hands every step of the way!! A MUST SEE !!f"

"Ian has simplified the key notes of composition in such a way that once having viewed this workshop, you cannot help but remember some fundamentals of a successful, flowing composition. His use of analogy to help one depict the foreground, middle and background of a scene (being seated at a theatre; viewing the actors on the stage and the purpose of the background) simplifies and makes sense of what was previously just "more theory" .etc. etc. There was never one moment of being either 'lost' or bored with his narrative. I am very grateful for having access to such an informative and easy to watch workshop."