How to Light a Landscape
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 ก.พ. 2025
- James Gurney demonstrates an essential principle of landscape painting: how to selectively illuminate a landscape. Instead of lighting a scene evenly, you can put the spotlight on the foreground, middle ground or background. As he paints a plein-air landscape he answers questions from followers.
CASEIN AND OTHER MATERIALS
Casein basic set of 6 colors: bit.ly/3EF4o11
Casein underpainting set of 6: bit.ly/3PDNcQ0
Titanium white: tinyurl.com/4n...
Cadmium yellow light: tinyurl.com/yc...
Cadmium orange: tinyurl.com/ys...
Golden ochre: tinyurl.com/y7...
Cadmium green: tinyurl.com/45...
Cerulean blue: tinyurl.com/2b...
Ultramarine blue: tinyurl.com/2x...
Cadmium red scarlet: tinyurl.com/mr...
Venetian red: tinyurl.com/kx...
Casein emulsion: bit.ly/3RoP4gz
Winsor and Newton gloss varnish: tinyurl.com/2j...
Travel brush set: bit.ly/46fkdXY
Plein-air tripod: tinyurl.com/mr...
BOOK I MENTIONED
Carlson's Guide to Landscape Painting: amzn.to/3k1zAOw
VIDEO TUTORIALS:
Sample from the new video tutorial "Gradients": gurneyjourney....
“Casein Painting in the Wild” (Download on Gumroad): gumroad.com/l/...
“How to Make a Sketch Easel” (DVD): kunaki.com/Sale...
BLOG POSTS WITH MORE GEAR INFO:
Gouache Materials List: gurneyjourney.b...
BOOKS BY JAMES GURNEY:
Color and Light: A Guide for Realist Painters: amzn.to/2JhWtfc
Imaginative Realism: How to Paint What Doesn’t Exist: amzn.to/2LbVHhc
Dinotopia: A Land Apart from Time: amzn.to/2xyamRM
OTHER OFFICIAL SITES
Instagram: / jamesgurneyart
Pinterest: / gurneyjourney
GurneyJourney Blog: gurneyjourney.b...
JamesGurney Website: jamesgurney.com/
Facebook group "Sketch Easel Builders": www.facebook.c...
Facebook group "Color in Practice": / 160510955315435
Music by Kevin MacLeod, incompetech.com
It always amazes me how Smoothe is patient with you. My now deceased dear pug used to bark as soon as he saw me grab a brush. He did not want me doing anythign he knew would take focus from him for too long.
Smooth does get impatient sometimes, but he usually just stares at us, like a wolf.
Imagine trying to practice saxophone.
How wonderful to be able to sit and paint beside your partner! Thanks for the tutorial again. X
I really like seeing what Jeanette does also :)
Not only are your free videos some of the most valuable learning tools I've ever found, they're also sooo peaceful and calming as art vlogs. I can't express how much I love these and you James! Thanks for everything!❤️
Agreed! I am always wowed by his clarity and generosity in sharing his knowledge and skills.
Paola Carboni asked about the glazing at the end. Key detail I forgot to mention: I did the glaze with acrylic and a little gloss medium, and then varnished the whole painting with Krylon spray finish varnish to make it look like oil.
Thanks I was wondering that as well Do you usually carry acrylics with you on your plein air trips ?
We all appreciate the boldness James brushwork, but boy what a delicate and beautiful work Jeanette put up.
I get strong PBS vibes from every James Gurney video, but it's just over-the-top when he brings out the life size pencils. Aside from the University level education he provides on drawing/painting, I watch these videos because he has giant pencils, art dept. attire and homemade art tools. This guy is my hero.
I watch every single video in your channel
you and Jeanette are absolutely lovely together. I find these videos educational and heartwarming.
I can feel the pure joy coming from Jaenette at the end 🥰🥰🥰
Discovered you accidentally a few weeks ago and I can't get enough of your videos. Used to draw and paint years ago but fell out of passion with it, but you inspired me to buy a gouache set and start painting again. The way you explain your thought process makes so much sense and makes it sound so easy, however I was humbled very quickly when I picked up the brush myself. Would love if you considered live streaming some of your paintings from start to finish so we could follow along in real time, I know I'd be there brush in hand. Just a thought! Keep up the great content.
It's Saturday, and I'm stuck wallowing about the house with a cold. It's time to buy a James Gurney video.
Nice! This is a great example of painting vs photography. You really left your emotional mark in the painting. I love that gentle pale light in the sky. The reference footage of the location is bland at best. You made this place feel really special.
Totally agree! This shows the potential of painting. That you can imbue the normal and typical with a feeling or emotion or significance that is meaningful to the artist and the viewer. Will we see more of your art Cuckoo! I loved watching your portrait you painted (and of course all your music!)
I have been enjoying your videos for awhile now, but including your better half adds something. It’s a joy to see couples who share their lives together! My wife and I are on our way to our 34th year of marriage. Couldn’t be happier! Each year just gets better! Keep up the great work guys!
Giant blob - big blob - little blob - details - more details - tweaks - PURE MAGIC, thanks!
I love you "bumping" the other pencil in the background at 0:06 - such a fun detail. I remember you doing that trick before. Delightful.
You're a great teacher! Your paintings are amazing! Thank you for your kindness 😊
I love the added video production elements, the 'phone in' questions, your signature in the corner and of course your extra large pencils.
Your videos are among the best Yt has to offer.
Really really nice! Love the addition of the dog ☺️
I enjoyed seeing Jeanette’s lovely little piece. Thank you for the instruction.
Look who made it into the painting 🐕 handsome Smoothe. Photo bomb success. I love the light and life in this painting- looking forward to this.
Another great video James. Thank you and your wife. Also, Smooth.
Nobody makes art and videos like James Gurney. Just the best every time!
In addition to the great lesson on lighting, it's just really pleasant to see you all enjoying the outdoors and painting together. I really appreciate how you captured Smooth with just the dots to start and also the idea of just adding details to the grass where the eye expects it. Very practical advice.
you are so delightful and so is your wife and your dog.
that dog at the the end is just like a chef's kiss
This is the way of painting I chose to cross over and I picked knowledge from your video tutorials one step closer to the full picture of learning landscape painting.
I'm just looking at your simple, quick "just dots" until you get it to look right add-in of Smooth. And... Good god, man. I love your work, your skill, your talents, your teaching ability, your video presence and the time spent watching.
Thank you.
Impressive how you can take a relatively prosaic landscape and turn it into something so pleasing to the eye. I've only started to paint late in life and now can really begin to appreciate what good artists achieve.
It’s hard to express just how grateful I am to benefit from James Gurney’s knowledge and expertise. There’s a wealth of information even in these short free TH-cam videos. His books, “Color and Light”, and “Imaginative Realism” are some the absolute best resources for learning and improving your art. He’s an inspiring artist.
This looks like a very interesting tutorial. I love that you included Smooth in the painting and also showed Jeannette's work. Lovely all around.
can you live forever for us Mr. Gurney?
One of my favorites. Your handling of the warm/cools and values are inspiring.
Took my Golden Retriever, Claire, with me once and she was so excited I only got an underpainting in burnt umber done.
She's so beautiful, and your paintings too
This is so incredibly beautiful Mr. Gurney, keep up the good work
Cute dog! Beautiful painting! ❤️
I always get so happy when you upload your videos
Just found your videos! You are such an amazing teacher!! God bless you!
I love your sense of humor and how you use practical effects to highlight it!
Thanks for exolaining your techniques in a way that makes the idea of drawing and painting more approachable. Thank you for keeping in the part where you resized your dog and how simple it was to adjust sizing. Thank you for the entertaining and informative way you share information. Blessings.
The last shots of the video is a great motive for another painting...
I love the excitement over the monarch at the end! I raise them and tag them for citizen science, so that would excite me, too!
Can't wait to get my easel set up to paint on location soon!
Thanks to the ending, I forgot your lesson and now am thinking how adorable you three are, James. LOL
Hi James, I am always inspired by your wonderful paintings and have started using gouache because of you. Jeanette is beautiful inside and out and I really enjoy seeing her work as well. Your videos make my day. Thank you. Julie 🥰
James.. You brightened my day and made me look even more forward to when I can again leave the office and go paint. Cheers.
Great video. I’ll have to always remember to put in light even if there isn’t any ! Great 👍
Recently took a by car trip through upper NYS about 200 miles! I live in NYS but never ever did I realize the magnificence of its landscapes and began wondering are drawn to this area to paint like they r to Paris or Australia or Alaska and hearing that you were in the Hudson Valley doing this painting not only answered that question but I began to feel proud, thinking, yes, an artist found us! Ty for that, back to the video.
I just want to say I've been so obsessed with all of your videos and I just found out your channel very recently.
I've watched most of them over and over again, and learned so much from them.
Now I'm so eager to do plein air painting that I bought a plain air easel after watching all of your videos!
Just want to say thank you for being such an inspiration, and sharing your processes.
This lighting technique has also amazed me! Something I've never learned from the art school!
You make it looks so easy! ❤ thank you for your tutorials, I appreciate your talent.
Took my Golden Retriever with me once and she was so excited I only got an underpainting in burnt umber done.
You are a fun couple to watch and learn from! Cheers from sunny Southern Utah!
It’s really a great tutorial Sir. Greetings from Chile 🇨🇱
This is so inspiring! Love is all we need in this journey! That is the message I'm getting in this video, not only because of the painting but because the way you and your partner are together out there doing what you most love! Its so beautiful and I thank you for this! Great lesson!
You are really an underrated person. Your painting is literally Monet level. Wishing you all the best for 1 million subscribers
2 great artists at work!
This was a very good informative video. The painting is beautiful and I love your dog.
This video was not only a great demonstration of painting but also digital content making. I loved how you embedded the questions from audience as if they were present there and looking over your shoulder. Brilliant!
Wow, I enjoyed this. I felt like both yours and Jeanettes paintings were even more interesting than your scene. And I enjoyed the questions, as they actually helped highlight how you accomplished this.
This is a wonderful video. I live in Tennessee, and in the summer there are just green trees and underbrush everywhere you look. I’ve often been frustrated trying to find a center of interest for my plein air paintings. This gives me an idea about how to enliven my outdoor scenes. Many thanks!
I, of course, watch James' videos for the artistic aspect and art instruction value, but in most cases I just love the whole experience with these on location videos. Often the background info, happenings at the location, and site observations are what really make these videos pop and become more than just art instruction videos. It's like watching a short movie at times--almost like I'm there.
Thanks for the feedback. That's what I'm trying for.
I can relate to Raven's question.
11:30 Safety in numbers! 😃
Just a heads up for anyone else looking for "Elementary Principles of Landscape Painting" by John F. Carlson, it was revised and retitled to "Carlson’s Guide to Landscape Painting".
Great clip, fantastic info, great paintings, thanks Jim and Jeanette
the dog was rendered so well, as was everything else
Just purchased the video, can't wait to dive in thanks James!
James Gurney, you're a great artist!
What a great teacher…
Thanks JG for putting together this amazing video for us to learn from and Enjoy. I just have feedback, I usually buy your videos and I would love if I can get more content and longer videos of paintings to understand the process as compared to your free TH-cam videos.
Awesome, thank you!
Thanks for sharing James, another excellent video.
I have a reactive dog that I walk daily at a busy park, and we are constantly trying to get enough space from people. That alleviates the conspicuous, out-of-place feeling! LOL I can't really paint with him but I make the most of it and do quick ink wash drawings.
This is such a wonderful, instructive video for artists! Thank you.
Such a beautiful painting
Can't wait to see the gradient techniques!! I'm terrible at making them with watercolor
I was terrible at first too, and it took a bit of practice and some coaching from Jeanette.
@@JamesGurney I got your video! Can't wait to watch it
It's always a joy to watch your videos James, and always learn something new. I'll be purchasing part 3!
"What were you thinking?" "Eh...I wasn't really thinking...."
Perhaps that sums up the difference between you two: the analyzing and synthesizing artist versus just drawing without thinking about it.
Absolutely fantastic videos! We all love you, your art and thanks for sharing your valuable accumulated knowledge! You and your family are inspiration for the art community!
So great your painting
The painting looks beautiful!! As always 😊😘
i love watching your videos, theyre always entertaining and engaging
Learned so much and this was pure joy to watch! Thank you
So peaceful and calming... And also full of lots of valuable information! Thank you so much.
This is a fantastic landscape. I love your work. Thanks for sharing James. 🙏🙏
James you are amazing
Subscribed... i just love watching your work before i move on to acrylics and oils, I am learning watercolor but the way you break down the varying contrasts of a composition and explain how to look at a scene is so helpful. Than you
Very helpful, thanks 🌸
❤ aún me sigue agradando sus obras muestro aprendí mucho de ud espero compartir parte de mi trabajo
Can't wait to try out different lightings on my next plein air session - great idea to do it on a thumbnail in color first.
I really enjoyed that video! Greetings from Germany
Brilliant painter..
I hope you will cover in detail how to keep colors lively when highlighting (adding white) like in the centerly lit spot. it looks so sunny! :D
The grass look more yellow than being added just white. You can use green with lemon yellow or cadmium yellow and white, depends on the need. Play with the colors, you'll find what you need.
Excited for this 😀
Autumn and James Gurney Videos! I missed that!
O lugar e seu desenho são lindos ,Mr Gurney.
I love the way you talk dude
What a beautiful video, thank you
Nice demo. ALL those green values can be tough. It would have been nice if that field of queen anne's lace would have been in the foreground. Mother Nature doesn't always cooperate. Thanks
I got to know about your channel just 30 min ago , I'm an amateur , I want to learn painting , how to start ? I used to draw when I was a kid but I stopped many yrs ago , today I saw a quote from piccaso which made me want to start again.
That’s awesome! My advice would be to resume with drawing and just focus on the process and experience rather than a specific outcome. Draw what you enjoy! If you want to move into painting maybe try painting with just black and white to get a handle. Check out some of Mr. Gurneys other tutorial videos on his gumroad site. The Color in Practice part 1 would be a great place to start. Good luck!
Love your paintings. You really inspire me :)
😮 was not expecting that pencil at the beginning
Thank you!!
this is lovely :-) you both are exceptional artists!