landscape drawing assignment

The Landscape Atelier

Drawing the landscape - full access.

April 5--May 17, 2024

In this course, using graphite, charcoal and pen and ink, we will explore contour and volume, proportion, mass drawing, and perspective. We will learn to enjoy drawing for its own sake and as a tool to gather reference for landscape paintings.

Are you...?

Intimidated by drawing?

Inexperienced in drawing the landscape?

Unsure of how to create linear perspective in your drawings?

Unable to create the illusion of three dimensional form in your drawings?

Would you like to explore different drawing mediums like charcoal and pen and ink?

Would you like to learn how to use drawing as a way to gather reference material for your landscape paintings?

Would you like to learn how drawing can help you learn to compose better landscape paintings?

What you'll learn in this course

Contour & volume.

You’ll explore line, shading, and mass drawing in graphite, charcoal, and pen and ink.

Proportion & Linear Perspective

You'll learn how to judge proportion and scale and how to use linear perspective.

Drawing Sets You Free

You’ll learn how drawing can help you compose better landscape paintings, gather reference material, and strengthen your plein air and studio practice.

Course curriculum

Introduction.

Welcome and Introduction

Materials and Reading List

Reading Assignment

Why Master Copies?

Carlson's Theory of Angles

Learning to See Value Accurately

How To Hold Your Pencil

How to Sharpen a Pencil

Using Your Value Isolator

Full Collection of Master Drawings

Comparative Measurement - Master Copies

Contour, Marks and Darks

More on Contour, Marks and Darks (CMD)

Suggestions for Mark Making

Drawing Tips

Tree Structure

Contour drawing-concertina sketchbook

Tips for Contour Drawing

Zoom Class #1 Recording

Week 1 - Assignments

Continuing Assignment--Concertina Sketchbook

Assignment #1 – Part 1

Assignment #1 - Part 2

Assignment #1 – Part 3

Assignment #1 – Part 4

Shading and Form

Examples of Shading

Foreshortening

Tips for Working in the Field

Week 2 - Assignments

Assignment #2 – Part 1

Assignment #2 – Part 2

Assignment #2 - Part 3

Assignment #2 – Part 4

Introduction to Mass Drawing

Perspective – Drawing Streams and Rivers

Perspective - Grasses

Perspective - Illustration of Leaning Trees

Zoom Class #2 Recording

Week 3 - Assignments

Assignment #3 - Part 1 Linear Perspective

Assignment #3 - Part 2 Mass Drawing

Assignment #3 - Ellipses in Perspective

Examples of Part 3

Charcoal - Materials

Charcoal - Techniques

Demo - Charcoal on Toned Paper

Charcoal - Grasses

Charcoal - Examples

Week 4 - Assignments

Assignment #4 – Part 1 Master Copies

Assignment #4 – Part 2 From Nature

Assignment #4 – Example

Introduction to Pen and Ink

Flow Issues

More Examples

Master Copies - Rembrandt and Corot

Master Copies - Rousseau

Master Copies - Van Gogh

Zoom Class Recording #3

Week 5 - Assignments

Assignment #5 – Part 1

Assignment #5 – Part 2

Working with Mixed Media

Week 6 - Assignments

Assignment #6

About this course

• 3 live Zoom calls (also recorded)
• Course community with instructor feedback

Deborah Paris

Deborah Paris is an American landscape painter, author, and teacher. She is the founder of The Landscape Atelier, her teaching studio, and the author of Painting the Woods: Nature, Memory and Metaphor (Texas A&M University Press 2020). Based on a foundation of intense and close observation, drawing, memory, and imagination, her work explores an intuitive connection to and her experience of nature.

Deborah’s work is represented by galleries throughout the US. She has been featured in Art of the West, American Painting Video Magazine, American Artist, Southwest Art, The Pastel Journal and Professional Artist Magazine. Her work has been shown at the Laguna Art Museum, the Albuquerque Museum of Art, the Panhandle-Plains Museum, the Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, The National Wildlife Museum, and the Gilcrease Museum.

When she isn’t painting or teaching, Deborah is an avid walker, birder, naturalist, reader, and writer. She lives and works in northeast Texas.

Visit Deborah at her website – https://www.deborahparis.com

For more about Deborah’s teaching philosophy and online learning, you can listen to this podcast.

What Students Are Saying

“When covid hit, I decided to take on-line classes and workshops to elevate my painting skills. I wanted to take a deep dive to fill in the skills I was missing. I have signed up for every class Deborah offers. I am thrilled with what I am learning and how it is advancing my painting skills.”

“My landscape art has improved so much because of the Landscape Atelier with Deborah Paris. Her classes simplify the complex nature of landscape art. Deborah’s classes helped me breakdown the landscape so I could focus and improve on one part at a time. Deborah’s classes will help you find your visual voice in landscape art.”

“After finishing a year of classes at the Landscape Atelier, I can honestly say that Deborah is not only a top-notch artist but also a gifted teacher. She brings her experience as an artist to teaching with a generosity of spirit that make her classes both instructive and fun. The interactive online setting with not just Deborah but also the fellow artists who participate in her classes adds to the overall experience.”

“Deborah is a world-class teacher. She is thorough, thoughtful, kind, and very skilled. This atelier is the place where week by week you build on your skills and understanding with lesson plans, exercises, video demonstrations and zoom meetings. You have a sense of community with the other students and her platform allows you to see other people’s work for her appraisal and for yours. She replies quickly, kindly, thoroughly.”

“The Landscape Atelier offers a comprehensive set of courses for developing skills as a landscape artist. Deborah Paris is an excellent instructor who has put together a package of course materials that provides guidance and inspiration. I am on my seventh course, and the way the lessons from each course connect and build on each other has been very powerful in underscoring key concepts.”

“Deborah Paris’ deep appreciation for the fundamentals of her craft, her intimate approach to the natural world, and her enthusiasm for teaching the traditions of landscape painting is what makes the Landscape Atelier such a special place. It is a profound place for artistic development.”

Full Access courses open for enrollment several months before the scheduled start of the course.

Yes, you will retain access to the course materials and videos after the course ends for as long as the site is up.

Yes. For Full Access courses, there is instructor feedback. You will post your work in the course community for feedback from the instructor.

Yes. The Zoom recordings are made available in the course community - usually within 24 hours of the live class.

Please see our cancellation policy on the “About Our Courses” page.

The courses on drawing, values, and composition would be appropriate for an artist working in any medium. Other classes involve techniques in oil painting, and all demonstrations are in oil.

The courses in drawing, color mixing, composition, and values would be appropriate for beginners. The other courses require some basic understanding of oil paint and how to apply it. They would be best for those with at least a year or two of experience working in oil. Our Creative Development courses are best for artists with at least two years of experience working in oil.

The materials list for each class is available as a free lesson. Click on “Free Preview” above to access that lesson.

Absolutely! You can retake this course for just $130. Contact us at [email protected] for a one-time discount coupon which you can apply to the purchase of the Full Access course. Let us know which course you want to retake in your email, please!

Learn How To Draw the Landscape With Confidence! Join us!

Art Studio Life

Articles » Drawing » Landscape Drawing Tips: How to Draw More Realistic Landscapes

Landscape Drawing Tips: How to Draw More Realistic Landscapes

• Last Updated: September 12, 2022
• Written by: Elisabeth Larson Koehler
• 10 Comments

This article may contain affiliate links, please read my affiliate disclosure for more information.

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Drawing landscapes can be a wonderful way to capture the beauty of the natural world but it can also be a bit of a challenge. However, by paying attention to just a few important landscape drawing tips, you can begin to create more compelling and realistic drawings.

For example, when drawing landscapes it is important to take into account the different elements that make up a landscape sketch. There are the physical elements, such as the sky, the ground, the vegetation and structural elements that make up the composition of your landscape drawing. But there are also environmental elements to consider, like how the light interacts with the landscape. The way light reflects off of different surfaces can help to create a sense of depth and realism in your landscape drawing.

Discover how to get better at drawing landscapes by learning how to deal with the physical and environmental elements of a landscape drawing. Get started with the fundamental drawing tips included below!

Areas that are further away need to be lighter in value

When you look at a landscape. You will notice that the areas that are furthest back in space are also the lightest in value. This becomes very clear when you look at mountains that are far off in the distance. You will notice that they are much lighter in value. Conversely, the parts of the landscape that are the closest to you, are darker in value.

You can see this rule of nature at play in this drawing by Ingres. Notice how he made his lines very light and fine in the background areas of the drawing. This helps to make that background area feel like it is far off in the distance. In contrast, the lines in the front section of the landscape sketch, are much darker and thicker. Which helps to bring things forward, as you increasingly create darker and thicker lines closer to the front.

Make sure to measure your landscape drawing

If you want to get better at drawing landscapes, measuring is such an important aspect to landscape drawing (and drawing in general).

Marks or notations are helpful tools for figuring out where things are placed in your drawing. You can use dots like Ingres did or any other mark you feel comfortable with to help note measurements.

Try not to worry about ‘messing up’ your drawing with marks and notations. It’s more important to work towards getting accurate measurements for your drawing when landscape sketching, than to make it look pretty. Observing carefully and measuring will lead you towards creating a drawing that is strong, beautiful, and convincing to the viewer.

How to draw landscapes that incorporate buildings

A landscape drawing sketch can be more than just drawing fields, trees and rivers. You can incorporate buildings and manmade structures into your landscape drawing as well!

As a rule of thumb, man made structures have angular shapes while the natural parts of a landscape will be more fluid and organic. It can be a fun contrast the two together in a drawing.

However, because of the very definite rigid lines that buildings have. It is extra important to observe carefully and make accurate measurements. It shows through if you don’t.

Here are some additional tips to help you with drawing buildings in your landscape drawings:

• Pay attention to the perspective of the building. This is especially important if the building is close up in your drawing.
• Make sure that the sides of the building are parallel to each other. This will create a sense of stability in your piece.
• Keep yourself from getting overly detailed when drawing buildings. Simplicity is key!
• Use a ruler if it helps you to create straight lines when drawing buildings. A ruler can also prove helpful when it comes to measuring and making sure areas are parallel to one another.

Find landscape drawing ideas that inspire you

Part of landscape drawing is cultivating drawing ideas for what to draw. There all sorts of different kinds of landscapes for you to draw inspiration from. One of the best things you can do for yourself is to take a sketchbook with you on your travels. Whether you are traveling more locally or half way across the world – a change of scenery is always fun and provides some fresh scenery for drawing.

Here are some ideas for different kinds of landscapes you could draw:

Cityscape drawing – this could be a skyline view or a more close up view of buildings.

Clouds – Learn how to draw clouds in your landscape drawings! Or just draw clouds on their own.

When looking for inspiring scenery for drawing. The best landscape drawing subject matter, is that which inspires you the most and makes you excited to draw!

There are endless landscape drawing ideas and possibilities for different kinds of landscapes to draw. It is up to you to explore and find what you are most drawn to! Make a habit of carrying a sketchbook around with you so you can capture the different landscapes you encounter.

ALSO, if you’re also a painter …

Creating landscape drawing sketches like these, will be a creative lifeline for you. They will not only help you to capture landscape painting inspiration , but also help you to easily figure out the compositions you want to create.

Save these Landscape Drawing Tips to your favorite Pinterest board for later!

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Hello! I'm Elisabeth Larson Koehler

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10 thoughts on “landscape drawing tips: how to draw more realistic landscapes”.

Hi Elisabeth.

I have been drawing for a very long time but never a landscape. This will be a good one for me to practice with. Thank you so much for all your excellent help and support with everything. My kind regards.

Hi Mike, You are very welcome! Very glad to hear that this is helpful 🙂

Hello Elisabeth, I download paintings that I like from the internet. I press a button to get the size in pixels. I divide the width in pixels by the length in pixels and I get say 0.80. I choose a canvas whose ratio is 0.80. Like 35/45=0.78, 40/50= 0.80, 24/30=0.80 etc… I print the photo in color. Its width is say 20.1 cm, its length 25.1 cm. My canvas is 40×50 cm I measure from the edge of the photo to the tree and I am 6 cm, and I am on the long side of the photo (25.1). The long side on the canvas is 50 cm. 6×50/25.1=11.9cm. The 6 cm on the photo correspond to 11.9 cm on the canvas. So I have a first point of reference. In width if it is say 4 cm x40/20.1. I thus have the abscissas and ordinates of the important points. If the painting I’m copying has a foggy canvas background (it’s a forest landscape) where you can barely see tree trunks in the background barely visible because of the morning mist, I take, at the beginning, the landmarks of trunks and floor details. I paint with acrylic the background of the canvas. I wait 2 hours for everything to dry, I prepare a very liquid solution of blue and white in acrylic and I paint the canvas background with this solution with a large paintbrush. I do 2 or 3 passes and I have a foggy backdrop with barely visible tree trunks. When everything is dry I take the landmarks of the 1st plan and I can use acrylic or oil for this plan. Paul Salmé

Hi Paul, Thank you for sharing your method of measuring to get accurate ratios when painting from images you find online. Its good to work from back to front as you described that you do – this works especially well for something like a foggy backdrop in a forest landscape as you mentioned. Very nice!

I’m not typically one who comments but this post was full of so much valuable information that I felt it important to say something. Thank you so much for all your wonderful and helpful posts!

Hi Sherri, You are very welcome! I am glad to hear this article was helpful for you. Thank you for sharing that 🙂

Thanks Elisabeth

You are welcome Dorian!

Thank you very much for such important tips to draw landscapes. Next time, when I will love a landscape and think to draw it I’m sure I will take care of teachings that you put in this article

I am so glad this article was helpful for you! You are very welcome for the tips 🙂

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3 Proven Exercises To Improve Your Landscape Drawing

In this article, I will review 3 exercises that I have seen improve the sketching ability of students and designers over time. With practice and commitment, these exercises should assist you in developing better drawing habits for conceptual and real outdoor spaces.

My Sketching Story

When I started to become more serious about landscape architecture as a future profession, I knew I had to work on my landscape sketching. Throughout high-school and for part of college, I didn’t really practice too much and my overall style was more cartoonish than I would have liked.

Luckily for me, I had great resources of faculty and fellow students that helped me create practice exercises to improve. I spent about one-hour per day sketching. I drew everything I could see, often multiple times, practicing different techniques and using different media from graphic pens to charcoal. The more I sketched, the more confident I became, and the better my drawings were. Now I sketch because I love to, and it is a wonderful habit to develop.

To be clear: there is no single tool, exercise, or “hack” that can make you become great at sketching, but I have never met a student who lacks the ability to improve. Below, I will be providing 3 exercises that have helped both myself and students improve their drawing skills, but before I do, I would like to give the most essential secret to become great at sketching. Are you ready?

In order to get better at sketching – you need to sketch ! Groundbreaking, I know.

So, as long as you can put in the effort, the exercises below should help you progress more efficiently with your dedicated practice.

A Brief Note on Sketchbooks

Before we delve directly into the exercises, I want to make a brief disclaimer about the type of drawing medium and brand of sketchbook you purchase. I believe a sketchbook is a very personal item to a designer. It is your own little record of thoughts, details, and occurrences that you can use in your next landscape design or future projects.

Because of this, there is no “best” sketchbook for drawing. It truly irritates me when I see online lists of “The 10 Best Sketchbooks” or “Only the Pros Use These 5 Sketchbooks”.  Do not listen to these individuals; they are only trying to sell you something.

Here is my advice: use whatever sketchbook you feel comfortable with and experiment with different brands. I am still testing out new brands of sketchbooks even after 20+ years of practice – and I love it! Each different sketchbook reminds me of a particular time and place I was as a designer, like a little historical artifact of my progress over time.

Currently, I have two sketchbooks I alternate between: a Canson Hardcover Sketchbook and a Pentalic Pocket Journal . I have used both brands before and have been pleased with them. I use Copic pens with each – although if a particular scene inspires me and I need to sketch it, I use whatever is at hand that makes a mark.

Honestly, I’ve literally used a dried twig and a lighter to get burnt char on paper during one snowy afternoon in upstate New York.

Exercise #1: The Timed Sketch (Getting Your Point Across)

Recently, I needed to text my wife while she was at the store because we were all out of milk in the house. Typically, this would not be an issue, but for my hungry 10 month old son it was a dire need.

Having to calm my son, along with keeping my 3 year old daughter entertained as well, I didn’t have time to send a full message to my wife. All I texted was “Buy Milk”. Sure enough, she got the relevant information she needed in order to make the correct decision that benefited my screaming little boy.

If I asked one-hundred people to make the same request of milk using only two words, most would have an easy time getting their point across – “buy milk”, “need milk”, or “milk now” would probably be the most common phrases.

The reason that people would say the same two-words is because they’ve spoken and communicated verbally for their whole lives. They understand the key elements within a sentence that need to be immediately stated in order for their intent to be understood. 

The same thing is true for visual graphics, but often designers don’t have the experience of synthesizing the information well enough to get their point across. This is the purpose of our first exercise – to limit the time you have to sketch so that you only focus on getting the key elements of the scene drawn.

For this exercise, you need to find five photographs of gardens, landscapes, or public parks. The photographs should be wide shots that show the entire space, or a large portion of it (you want to avoid pictures of a single plant, one bench, etc.).

Arrange the 5 photographs in sequential order randomly, one through five. Starting with the first photograph, give yourself a full 5 minutes to sketch the scene. Set a timer to keep you honest. Once the 5 minutes are up, put your pen or pencil down and move to the next page.

For the next photograph, only give yourself 4 minutes. Set the timer and sketch.

Keep progressing through the next three pictures until you are finally sketching photograph #5 within 1 minute. The entire exercise should take no more 15 minutes. After you have completed it, review your sketches and give yourself an honest evaluation.

Next time you practice this exercise, shuffle the photographs randomly again, and start over. Keep using the exercise weekly until you’ve sketched nearly all the photographs at each of the time intervals.

A Substitute Method for Exercise #1

In some cases, students have been too overwhelmed by the ticking clock to think critically about the image they are confronted with, so I have offered them an alternate method which has the same overall effect. It’s called “A Landscape in Seven Lines” .

Essentially, the student can take the same photographs as before, but instead of a limit of time, they have a limit of lines. They can only draw 7 lines on their page. They can take as long as they wish to draw, but as soon as they lift their pen off the sketchbook, the line is counted and they only have 7 lines in total.

The exercise makes students think deeply about the most important elements within the photograph as a means of representing it to a client or class.  

Exercise #2: 100 Leaves (Repetition & Muscle Memory)

Have you ever said a word so many times in a row that the word actually loses its meaning? Take a moment to try it – say the word “tomato” one-hundred times. You’ll see that after about 40 times saying it, you no longer focus on the meaning of the word. Your mind wanders off while your mouth keeps enunciating the three random syllables that for some reason when strung together mean a delicious red summer fruit.

Often times when students begin sketching, they focus entirely too much attention on the complexity of the scene and the meaning behind it, rather than the forms that are in front of them. I’ve seen it over and over again.

For example, in my design class we might be practicing a sketch  of a Pin Oak ( Quercus palustris ) or some other tree that has a very recognizable structure. The student will be so concerned with how the tree should look they don’t notice the actual forms in front of them.

For this exercise, we will try and break the connection behind the complexity of an image so that you focus only on the actual form itself. In order to do this, we must draw the same thing repeatedly.

To start, you need to find a leaf from a plant. Try to find a real leaf, not an image or photograph, we will be moving it around as we go. ( Also, this exercise can be replicated with any common item, but typically I’ve had success with horticulture students sketching leaves ).

Next, position the leaf on the surface of a board or desk in front of you. Take 1 page of your sketchbook and quickly (within 20-30 seconds) draw the overall form of the leaf. Repeat the same small sketch 24 more times so that you have a total of 25 leaves on your page. The size of each drawn leaf may vary, but since you will be drawing the leaf 25 times on this same page be sure to draw small. If you need more space, simply move to the back of the page.

After the initial 25 sketches are done, move the leaf to a new location along with a new orientation (rotate it, flip it over, or stand it up against something). Repeat 25 sketches on a new page. Keep moving the leaf and sketching until you have a total of 4 pages and 100 leaves drawn. This should take no more than 1 hour to complete, but you can take short breaks in between pages.

A Substitute Method For Exercise #2

After some time, the “100 Leaves” exercise may get rather boring – and understandably so. Therefore, I do tell students to try switching over to a different exercise periodically that has a similar objective. It’s called “Drawing the Negative Space” .

To complete this exercise, you would simply find a plant (inside or outside) and instead of actively drawing the plant itself, you try to draw all of the empty space around and inside the plant instead. This takes a bit of getting use to, but you want to focus on the negative space only – deliberately drawing the air around and inside the canopy of the plant. By practicing this, you will be very surprised by the results.

Exercise #3: The Daily Diary (Learning To Love the Process)

One of the biggest problems I see when students sketch is a lack of confidence in their lines. It is an easy thing to spot when they are sketching because you will often see them lift their pen or pencil off the paper several times before committing to a line. Meanwhile, the confident designers often tackle the sketch head-on, and if there happens to be a stray or misplaced line, so be it.

The reason that some have confidence and others don’t truly boils down to daily practice. If you have never sketched a tree before, you will likely be nervous about making a mistake the next time you draw it. The problem is that most people feel that practicing drawing is a chore – a task to be completed rather than something to enjoy look forward to.

To combat this issue, we need to try and make sketching an enjoyable habit. The best way I’ve found to accomplish this is to make it personal experience and attach it to something a designer already enjoys.

To complete this exercise you must dedicate only 5 minutes a day, every day, for 1 month (30 days). For those 5 minutes, you should be in a comfortable enjoyable place doing something you would normally have been doing even if you weren’t sketching. The three examples I will use are grabbing a cup coffee, taking your dog for a walk, and listening to music.

Whatever activity you might enjoy, take 5 minutes while you are doing it and simply sketch something related. It can be anything you that wish – sketching a group of people at the coffee shop, sketching your dog while he/she runs through the park, or perhaps sketching an abstract concept of how the music makes you feel.

Whatever you might wish to sketch – just take those 5 minutes and sketch. The purpose of this exercise is twofold: (1) To make a more positive association with the act of sketching through pairing it with a leisurely activity and (2) To get in the habit of a regular sketching routine, which is essential for future progress.

A Substitute Method For Exercise #3

For most people, Exercise #3 really isn’t an issue because of its flexibility, but for those that still cannot find the time or enthusiasm to complete it; a good substitute would be “The Bedtime Sketch” . Just make it a habit, prior to going to bed, to put your sketchbook in your hands and before you drift off to sleep, take 5 minutes and sketch something that you remember about the day.

Learning from Other Designers

Finally, don’t be afraid to look for inspiration at other designers that sketch. There are a wealth of resources online and in libraries cataloging famous artists, architects, and landscape architects and their sketchbook drawings.

For those in the landscape field, a good place to start would be reviewing Transforming the Common Place: Selections From Laurie Olin’s Sketchbooks. They provide a good example of the type of sketching that a professional designer can do after years of practice and experience in the field.

If you liked this post and wish to learn more about landscape design and drafting, be sure to check our Design Resources section for more articles like this one.

____________________________________

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1.10: Landscape

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Landscape Drawing

Drawing or painting our surroundings is something artists have done for thousands of years. Most of the ancient images of landscapes are lost forever along with the plaster walls or other supports used in their creation. Some early paintings survive decorating the walls of palaces and rooms found in areas of volcanic activity in the ancient cities of Thera and Pompeii. These dwellings were buried in volcanic ash preserving the beautiful frescoes of flora and fauna. Additionally, during the Amarna Period in Egypt there was a flourishing of artistic activity unlike any the Ancient Egyptians previously experienced. Some of the artwork depicted natural scenes similar to landscapes with vitality and life.

LANDSCAPE FROM 3,500 YEARS AGO!

Island of Thera, Minoan 2000 - 1400 BCE

https://kuscholarworks.ku.edu/bitstream/handle/1808/10273/King_ku_0099M_12275_DATA_1.pdf;sequence=1

https://www.cs.princeton.edu/courses/archive/spring07/cos598C/notes/4_feb_2007_presentation.pdf

Amarna Landscape 1353-1336 BCE

https://www.amarnaproject.com/pages/amarna_the_place/north_palace/index.shtml

https://www.britannica.com/art/Amarna-style

DETAIL OF FLEMISH LANDSCAPE FROM 1500s

• Take a look at this early Flemish 1500s painting of a landscape

• What areas can you identify that help create the illusion of depth?

• Some of these are known as Principles of Design, others are Art Elements

• There are also three distinct areas of the landscape explained below

IDENTIFIABLE LANDSCAPE PARTS

• Take a look at this 1800s painting of a landscape

• There are also three distinct areas of the landscape – can you name these three areas?

• Answer below

Answer: FOREGROUND, MIDDLE GROUND, AND BACKGROUND

• Foreground is in yellow

• Middle ground is in blue

• Background is in violet

OTHER FACTORS

• Notice that the landscape features a full range of values

• The shapes with the highest contrast are closest to the viewer in the foreground

• The Principle of Verticality is the landscape forms closest to us are located at the bottom of the visual field (area of the paper if a drawing, canvas if a painting)

• The middle ground has less contrast and detail

• The background has the least amount of contrast giving the illusion that the shapes “fade into the distance”

• In a painting, the intensity of color may be brighter in the foreground and become less intense (more dull/diluted) in the middle and backgrounds

“RULE OF THIRDS”

• Rule of Thirds is dividing the visual field into thirds

• Divisions into thirds can be horizontal, vertical, or both

• It does not have to be exact, since it is an aesthetic design principle

• Rule of Thirds applies nicely to landscape photography, painting, and drawing

• The concept of the Rule of Thirds is a Principle of Design

EXAMPLES OF 2-D ART USING RULE OF THIRDS LANDSCAPE FORMAT

EXAMPLE OF RULE OF THIRDS PORTRAIT FORMAT

VERTICAL RULE OF THIRDS MAY RELATE TO FOREGROUND, MIDDLE GROUND, AND BACKGROUND

• The foreground is made up of the large rocks

• The middle ground features the closest trees

• The background includes the lightest in value trees - fading them into the background

CONTEMPORARY DRAWING

1500s DUTCH/FLEMISH PAINTING

NOT ALWAYS RULE OF THIRDS

• This painting creates balance through asymmetrical placement of the sailboats

• Other important factors include the use of light and shadow, repetition of forms (boat sails), shape of the clouds, and the placement of the horizon line

LATE 1700S/EARLY 1800s BRITISH PAINTING

EARLY 1800s BRITISH PAINTING

EARLY-MID 1800s FRENCH PAINTING

MID-LATE 1800s FRENCH PAINTING

MID-LATE 1800s AMERICAN PAINTING

MID-1900s AMERICAN

LANDSCAPE DRAWINGS INCLUDING BUILDINGS

If you include a building in your landscape, looking at these next several cityscape slides may help you

Student Work

Landscape Drawing Assignment

Where to Begin?

• Choose a place outside to draw where you can view a natural setting

• If you successfully include a building that’s extra credit

• Determine your eye level

• Can you include a foreground, middle ground, and background?

• Create a balanced composition by cropping

• Possibly use “Rule of Thirds” to create balance

• Use softer pencils from HB up to 6B and a full sheet of paper

• Hold the pencil loosely and relax

• Focus on values

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Designing Elements in Landscape Art with Steve Huston

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In this lesson, instructor Steve Huston will focus on the elements of design for landscape drawing. Steve will show you how to organize your artwork into quadrants to build a balanced yet complex composition. You will study how to establish framing to provoke emotions for your work, utilize perspective, and work with symmetry and asymmetry.

This lesson belongs to the course Introduction to Landscape Drawing . In this crash course, Steve Huston will overview the principles of landscape drawing. You will learn how to use the concepts of gesture and structure in landscape art. You will explore the basic strategies to achieve effective compositional designs. Steve will show you how to apply the laws of light to drawing landscape scenes. After this course, you will be able to make strong design choices in your artwork.

Throughout this course, you’ll have access to the NMA community for feedback and critiques to improve your work as you progress.

You do not need to purchase specific materials to take this course . We have included a materials list as recommendation only. If you cannot find a specific material in your area, use the closest equivalent available to you. Doing so will allow you to have the best possible learning outcome from this course. For help with finding alternative materials, including how to take this course with digital tools, please join our community Discord .

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Resources for Educators

In today’s increasingly evidence-based marketplace, landscape architecture students need to be able to convey the environmental, economic, experiential, and social value of excellent design. Incorporating landscape performance into landscape architecture education will give students the awareness and skills they need to design for, evaluate, and communicate the impact of their projects.

LAF’s Resources for Educators offers sample teaching materials for integrating landscape performance into landscape architecture course offerings, including studio, seminar and lecture courses. Materials include syllabi, reading lists, and sample student assignments, as well as faculty reflections on their pedagogical approaches and experiences teaching landscape performance. All materials are copyright of the participating universities and professors.

A combined list of readings listed in the individual materials can be accessed here . 

Resources for Educators  materials were developed through LAF’s  Landscape Performance Education Grants , made possible with support from the Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute’s Foundation for Education & Research .

Studio Courses

Landscape Arch Design III  (BLA Studio) University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Phillip Zawarus Term Taught: Fall 2017

This fourth-year studio course focused on the context of the Las Vegas Valley and its unique challenges. Students examined the global, regional, and local scale of environmental systems, analyzed master plans and green infrastructure guidelines for developments adjacent to valley water networks, and conducted comprehensive analysis, synthesis, programming, and design for landscape performance. Through parametric modeling and GIS mapping, students assessed the performance of existing conditions within the Las Vegas Valley in order to outline green infrastructure guidelines for the water network.   

• View/download all materials
• Instructor Reflections
• Reading List
• Class Handout - Exercise 1
• Class Handout - Exercise 2
• Class Handout - Exercise 3
• Class Handout - Exercises 4 & 5

Advanced Landscape Design Studio: Landscape Design Scenarios for Water Conservation in the Middle Rockies  (Landscape Design BS Studio) Montana State University, Rebekah VanWieren, MLA, MS Term Taught: Fall 2016

This studio integrated landscape performance principles and metrics with a design project for the City of Bozeman’s Water Conservation Division. Students analyzed the ecology and lifecycle of designing landscapes through field explorations around four themes: water, vegetation and soil, energy, and human health and well-being. These findings were applied to design performance alternatives for water resource resiliency in the semi-arid West.

• View/download all materials
• Syllabus & Resources
• Class Handout - Sample Assignment 1
• Class Handout - Sample Assignment 2
• Sample Student Work - Bozeman Residence
• Sample Student Work - Design Performance
• Sample Student Work - Presentation
• Sample Student Work - Final Presentation

Design Theory and Exploration Focus Studio  (BLA Studio) California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, Joseph Ragsdale, ASLA, FAAR Term Taught: Fall 2016

This third- and fourth-year vertical studio links technical competencies with design explorations and applied landscape architecture theory studies. For sites located on the university campus, students established current performance criteria and metrics, proposed design ideas in connection with an updated master plan, and evaluated changes in performance metrics of proposed design solutions. The course was structured around three activities: a technical module focusing on landscape performance, a design module emphasizing design exploration, and a theory seminar reinforcing contemporary landscape architecture theory.

• Class Handout - Technical Module Assignments
• Student Work - Assignment 2: Baseline Data
• Student Work - Assignment 3: Performance Benefits
• Class Handout - Design Module 
• Class Handout - Seminar
• Survey - Student Understanding of Landscape Performance

Project Design and Implementation Focus Studio (BLA Studio) California Polytechnic State University, Ellen Burke, RLA, LEED AP Term Taught: Spring 2015 At the request of the University President, this BLA studio centered around the redesign of the University President’s on-campus residence front yard, which is currently largely a turf grass lawn. The primary goal of the redesign project was reducing lawn areas to demonstrate a more sustainable landscape model and to reduce water use. Students formed groups and submitted final proposals, which included site plans, renderings, planting lists, and projections for quantified environmental, social, and economic performance benefits. 

• Student Reflection
• Syllabus & Reading List
• Handout - Benefits Calculations
• Handout - Benefits Literature Review
• Handout - Campus Plan Workshop
• Handout - Case Study
• Handout - Concept Design Brief
• Sample Student Work - University House 
• Handout - Technology

Ecological Analysis & Conceptual Frameworks (MLA Studio) Boston Architectural College, Aidan Ackerman Term Taught: Spring 2014

This core design studio introduced students to means of conducting baseline inventories and analyses of sites in constructed, urban environments. Students performed research and representation of baseline conditions at various scales, before proposing a design intervention for a site in Roxbury, MA. Students then translated this analysis into a design strategy including landscape performance goals related to environmental, social and economic outcomes.

• Class Handout - Precedent Performance Study
• Class Handout - Studio Assignments
• Sample Student Work - Urban Climates

Landscape Architecture Graduate Studio II: Health (MLA Studio) Mississippi State University, Chuo Li, PhD Term Taught: Spring 2014

This MLA studio focused on addressing public health issues in the design process. An initial project introduced students to the concept of landscape performance in the context of public health, whereas a second encouraged them to incorporate performance assessment into their design work. Specifically, students developed health-related metrics for their main studio project, and then used these metrics to evaluate their proposals for a greenway in Starkville, MS.

Lecture Courses

Water Conservation Technologies  (BSLA Lecture) University of Idaho, Gary Austin, PLA Term Taught: Spring 2014

This lecture class focused on the design of water conservation and management processes, such as rainwater harvesting, constructed wetlands and biological water treatment systems. Students calculated peak stormwater runoff rates and volumes and predicted the performance of their design concepts, focusing on metrics related to water conservation, stormwater management and water quality.

• Class Handout - Studio Assignment
• Sample Student Work - Inventory & Analysis
• Sample Student Work - Development Rates
• Sample Student Work - Runoff & Harvest
• Course Website

Seminar Courses

Materiality in Landscape Architecture  (BLA Seminar) University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Catherine De Almeida Term Taught: Fall 2017

This course, the first of three courses in a construction sequence, introduced sophomores to AutoCAD and detailing as well as the materials and assemblies used in landscape architecture with a focus on material lifecycles and performance capabilities. Students were exposed to the larger implications of their material choices and design decisions by viewing materials through the lens of lifecycle analysis and performance.  

• Class Handout - Phase 1 Project Brief
• Class Handout - Phase 2 Project Brief
• Sample Student Work 1
• Sample Student Work 2
• Class Handout - Phase 3 Project Brief

Site Engineering (MLA Core) University of Arizona, Kirk Dimond, MLA, LEED AP Term Taught: Fall 2016

Site Engineering for landscape architects requires students to develop the comprehension and skills necessary to maintain health, safety, and welfare through the manipulation of topography and water. To reinforce this, knowledge objectives with associated performance measures, organized under the four natural elements of earth, water, fire and air, challenged students to develop technical competency through lectures and exercises that also provided the means to measure and evaluate their decisions through understanding landscape performance. Culmination of the material was tested in a comprehensive final project requiring a full grading plan that demonstrates evidence of responsible design decisions.

• Class Handout - Exercises
• Class Handout - Final Project
• Sample Student Work - Site Plan

Designed Landscapes - Theory and Criticsm  (BSLA Seminar) Colorado State University, Kelly Curl Term Taught: Fall 2017

This discussion-focused seminar introduced students in their final year to landscape theory with a focus on integrating landscape performance. Students studied the Landscape Performance Series Case Study Briefs and Benefits Toolkit. This is the program’s only seminar course that allows BSLA students to be fully engaged in readings, writings and discussions on designed and built landscapes. Students also measured campus landscapes with the physical tools necessary for evaluating performance.

• Sample Student Work - UT Dallas Case Study Presentation
• Sample Student Work - High Desert Community Case Study Presentation
• Sample Student Work - Cascade Gardens Case Study Presentation

Operative Landscapes (MLA Seminar) University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Brad Collett, ASLA, RLA, LEED AP Term Taught: Fall 2016

Contemporary challenges posed by urbanization, climate dynamics, evolving economies and social paradigms have changed the demands we place on the designed landscape. Landscape architects in North America and around the world have risen to this challenge, revealing new possibilities for the economic, social and environmental performance of landscapes in public, private and infrastructural territories.  Operative Landscapes  examined the historical contexts and emergent theory driving this shift in the practice of landscape architecture, and surveyed contemporary projects as a basis for understanding multi-scalar design approaches, technical details and maintenance regimes. An emphasis was placed on built landscapes and living systems as integral parts of site stormwater management approaches and regional water resource infrastructure.

• Required Reading & Bibliography
• Class Handout - Projects List
• Class Handout - Project 1: Urban Wilderness
• Class Handout - Project 2: Drosscape
• Sample Student Work - Riparian Surfaces & Edges
• Sample Student Work - Rights of Way
• Class Handout - Project 3: Performance Research
• Sample Student Work - Lakeshore Park
• Sample Student Work - Urban Wilderness

Seminar on Landscape Performance: Focus on Temple University Main Campus Landscape  (MLA/BSLA Seminar) Temple University, Mary Myers, PhD, FASLA, FCELA Term Taught: Spring 2014

This weekly seminar introduced students to landscape performance assessment in the context of the Temple Campus Landscape Plan. After gaining an understanding of the Landscape Plan and precedents for measuring landscape performance on university campuses, students researched different tools and means of assessing performance. Students then collaborated on a final report that proposed a strategy for measuring baseline conditions and monitoring performance on the Temple campus.

• Sample Student Work - Landscape Metrics Report

Site Analysis and Planning (MLA Seminar) Rhode Island School of Design, Emily Vogler Term Taught: Spring 2015 This third year MLA seminar had an overarching goal of introducing students to site analysis and planning from the regional to the site-specific scale. Every week the course addressed a different topic related to environmental landscape performance, including water quality, biodiversity, urban habitat, soil quality, and landscape connectivity, with each session drawing the connection of these systems from the regional to the site-specific scale. The course was taught concurrently with the studio Site|Ecology|Design that explored the interaction between human and natural systems at the regional, city, and site scale.

• Class Handout - Case Study
• Sample Student Work - Case Study
• Class Handout - GIS
• Sample Student Work - GIS
• Class Handout - Habitat
• Sample Student Work - Habitat
• Sample Student Work - Biota Site Analysis
• Sample Student Work - Climate Site Analysis

Urban Ecological Systems (MLA, MArch, MUD Joint Seminar) Kent State University, Reid Coffman, PhD Term Taught: Spring 2015

This MLA, MArch, MUD joint seminar investigated how novel ecosystems can provide environmental benefits for urban societies. It combined the design and science disciplines to address urban conditions. Fundamentals from the fields of ecology and design were used to inform the conceptualization of design proposals embedded with ecologically oriented hypotheses. A focus of the course was on the conceptualization of urban infrastructure projects which deliver an ecological return on investment through the coupling and bundling of ecological services. 

• Websites and Calculators List
• Class Handout - Socio-ecological Problems of Cities
• Class Handout - Unstacking Ecological Services 
• Sample Student Work - Unstacking Ecological Services  
• Class Handout - Bundling Ecological Services 
• Sample Student Work - Bundling Ecological Services Poster

Hybrid Courses

Advanced Landscape Architecture Studio IV  (MLA Studio) and  Special Topic: Design Performance  (MLA Seminar) Arizona State University, Kenneth Brooks, FASLA, FCELA, PLA Term Taught: Spring 2015

This advanced design studio course served as a culminating studio for master of landscape architecture (MLA) and master of urban design students (MUD). The principal goal of the course was to engage MLA and MUD students in their final studio course in a thesis project that required the creation of a design that used landscape performance strategies, concepts and tools to enhance and evaluate the design. The studio course was supplemented with a weekly seminar on “Design Performance.” Each project was to demonstrate how advanced design resolves targeted issues in a performative manner using evidence-based practices and performance-based metrics. This course was intended to give professional design students an opportunity to engage in complex design that applies a research-based approach. Please note: there is a course by the same name and professor listed on this page that was taught in the Spring of 2014. While the course name and instructor remained the same, the materials listed are different. 

• Sample Student Work - Complexity in Green Roof Systems
• Sample Student Work - TRANSITioning the Watershed 
• Sample Student Work - Vacant to Vibrant 
• Sample Student Work - Home Food Production   

Advanced Landscape Architecture Studio IV (MLA Studio) and Special Topic: Design Performance (MLA Seminar) Arizona State University, Kenneth Brooks, FASLA, FCELA, PLA Term Taught: Spring 2014

This MLA studio introduced students to the concept of landscape performance as a means of evaluating the success of a design strategy. Students selected topics of interest - ranging from water management to park utilization to economic development - and researched how their designs could improve outcomes in these areas, considering the “quadruple bottom line” approach to sustainability. An integrated seminar class taught within the clock hours of the studio then explored the philosophies, history and strategies for using landscape performance to evaluate outcomes and promote better design. Please note: there is a course by the same name and professor listed on this page that was taught in the Spring of 2015. While the course name and instructor remained the same, the materials listed are different. 

• T eaching Proposal & Syllabi
• Sample Student Work - Evaluation Matrix
• Sample Student Work - Therapeutic Landscapes
• Sample Student Work - Urban Wetlands & Ecosystem Services

Landscape Architecture Design Process  (BLA Lecture and Studio) Texas Tech University, Yi Luo, PhD Term Taught: Spring 2015

This course was specifically designed for second-year BLA students to learn how landscape performance measurement can be integrated - and made a routine step - in the landscape architecture design process. By introducing landscape performance to students early on in their education, students are expected to advance knowledge and develop skills related to landscape performance as they progress in their studies. Through this course, students learned the concept, framework, and quantification methods of landscape performance. They also evaluated the performance of their term design projects using tools selected from the Landscape Performance Series Benefits Toolkit. 

• Reading List 
• Class Handout - Landscape Performance Case Study
• Sample Student Work - Landscape Performance Case Study 
• Class Handout - Benefits Toolkit
• Sample Student Work - Benefits Toolkit 
• Class Handout - Term Project 
• Sample Student Work - Term Project 

Advanced Plants (MLA Lecture and Lab/Studio) Rutgers University, JeanMarie Hartman, PhD Term Taught: Fall 2017

This lecture and studio combination course focused on plant ecology, plant identification, and planting design. Beginning with a landscape performance framework, the course implemented an active learning model, requiring students to collect plant specimens for identification, sample areas for biodiversity, and take soil samples. Rain gardens were used during plant identification and planting design segments to measure ecological, economic, public health, social, and aesthetic performance. Visits to greenhouses and campus gardens were used to evaluate the many ways in which plants interact with their environment. 

• Final Product - Rain Garden Measurement & Evaluation Guide
• Sample Student Work 1 - Final Drawings and Maintenance Plan
• Sample Student Work 2 - Final Drawings and Maintenance Plan
• Sample Student Work 3 - Final Drawings and Maintenance Plan

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COURSE OVERVIEW

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Having a pleasant outdoor space can make any house feel like a home. Homeowners spend millions of dollars every year creating ideal outdoor spaces for their needs, from front gardens to stone walkways to outdoor living areas and more. As a professional landscape designer, it’s your job to create beautiful outdoor design concepts to meet your client’s needs.

Landscape design is an incredibly fast-growing industry. Designers are having to constantly turn down clients and projects due to packed schedules. It’s a perfect opportunity for you to enter a booming market!

There’s a lot to learn in order to be a successful landscape designer. Not only do you have to understand design concepts like scaling and color theory, but you also need a thorough understanding of different plant species to be able to design living, breathing landscapes that will thrive in different climates.  Your landscape design certification will get you there.

Graduate within a few months and learn how to start your own landscape design business, or work for an established company. If you love the outdoors and have a knack for design, this is the ideal career for you!

• Includes everything you need to get certified
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Digital and physical textbooks.

Benefit from the learning style that suits you best! Whether you like the convenience of accessing all your course materials online or you prefer turning the pages of a traditional book, QC has you covered.

A Wealth of Support

QC’s Student Support Team and your dedicated Teaching Assistants are here to help you succeed. You’ll also be paired with a working design professional, who will be your tutor throughout the course. This industry expert will provide you with personalized feedback on every assignment.

Professional Business Resources

Catapult your career with access to real-world templates, self-study assignments, and bonus materials. Utilize these resources to develop your marketing and customer service skills.

• Comprehensive online and printed learning materials.
• Five units containing quizzes and hands-on exercises that will develop your professional landscaping skills.
• A series of instructional videos that teach you how to create professional scaled drawings illustrating your vision.
• An easy-to-follow course guide that tells you when to read lesson texts, watch videos and complete assignments.
• A business training unit designed for landscape designers. Learn how to register your business, advertise, and manage projects and accounts.
• Customizable business forms and templates to start your own landscaping business.
• Please refer to our list of recommended supplies needed to complete hands-on assignments and build your professional kit.

Your Landscape Design Certification

Upon completion of QC’s Landscape Design Course, you’ll graduate with the unique International Landscape Design Professional (ILDP) certification. This certificate of completion demonstrates that you possess the training needed to provide top-quality service to your clients!

Course Outline

Select the buttons below to learn about each Unit in the online Landscape Design Course.

Learn about the landscape design industry and the role of a professional landscape designer, from the initial consultation and site visit to the final landscape design drawing. Learn about the types of sites and projects you might work on throughout your career and the reasons your clients will hire you. You’ll discover how you can increase the perceived value of your clients’ homes and properties by improving curb appeal. Finally, learn how to gather essential information during a client consultation and site visit.

In this unit, you’ll discover key factors in developing a functional landscape design. You’ll learn about spatial planning and the “outdoor room concept.” Explore the ways you can use these concepts to organize a site into distinct areas that meet your clients’ functional needs. You’ll also learn about planning the hardscape and softscape of a landscape site. The hardscape consists of all the non-living elements of a site, including decks, fire pits and gazebos. The softscape refers to the garden plants, trees, shrubs and all other plants on a site.

Learn about how plants live, grow and die to design healthy softscapes. You’ll read about plant classifications, physiology and growing conditions and learn how these factors will affect your landscape designs. Discover popular garden styles through the ages and how to design modern gardens that exceed your clients’ expectations. You’ll learn important factors of sustainable and environmentally friendly landscape design.

Explore the principles and elements of design and discover how to apply these foundational aspects of design to a landscape site. You’ll also discover the many different types of landscape diagrams and drawings you’ll develop throughout the design process. Learn how to develop high-quality, professional drawings that you’re proud to present to your clients.

Learn important steps involved in business start-up. Explore the world of marketing and promotion, including how to build your brand and market your business online. Learn to communicate with clients and discover practical techniques to help you sell your services. You’ll also cover special topics such as working with vendors and contractors and developing a professional portfolio of your work.

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