First of all, I am not an Artist! At best I am a pencil doodler! I like the challenge of creating and PSP V9 Art Media has the added attraction of being fun to work with.

I will do my very best to offer you something you will find useful and start you on your own venture into digital painting.

I chose a model from a Frank Clarke water color instruction handbook because the picture can be divided into thirds making it easier to see the divisions of Horizon, Sky, Middle-ground and Foreground. All landscape pictures follow this guideline (and Frank swears by it!)

While I use a graphic pen and a mouse, this painting was done wholly with a mouse (because everyone has a mouse). However if you have a pen by all means use it.

I have tried to use the presets without making too many changes but I encourage you to experiment with various settings. When using a preset get in the habit of first setting the brushes to default (click that little arrow in the preset drop-down) then make your changes.

The brush sizes are listed in a range (ie/15-25) try various sizes to find what works best for you. I tend to use the smaller sizes to gain more control (especially when working with the mouse), but you may prefer to work more boldly with a larger size brush.

If you download the sample picture above and zoom in to about 150% you will be able to see how the brush strokes were used.

Make this your painting, the tutorial is just a starting place, don't hesitate to experiment and incorporate your own ideas.

COLORS: you may use my basic color chart or create your own.
I prefer to blend my colors on the canvas as needed.

This tutorial assumes you have a good working knowledge of the Art Media terms and uses and know how to use the mixer palette.
I suggest you create an Art Media toolbar as it is most helpful.

Thank You to my friends Alice, Becky and Zach for your encouragement, suggestions and testing. Without you I would not have made it past the first line.

All that being said, LET'S PAINT.........

STEP 1 Horizon: Open new RASTER layer, transparent, 400 x 550 Using ruler as guide at about 375 create a line across layer width, color black, size 2. Name this layer HORIZON. Keep this layer on top at all times as all painting will be done in relation to this line. Once you start painting you will see the importance of knowing where your horizon is. SAVE as Horizon

STEP 2 PAINTING THE SKY Open new ART MEDIA layer, Name it SKY. texture/very coarse canvas. (place this and all new layers BELOW your horizon layer) Pull out sides of layer to allow for brush start. OIL BRUSH/preset/size 100/Average thick Hi Load/square/ Using ruler as a guide Paint sky across canvas using a sky blue color down to approximately 160

STEP 3 Blending SKY: Working on same layer change to PALETTE KNIFE/ Normal/size 50/Head Loading 1-3/auto clean ON. Make several quick strokes across sky in areas where you would like to show clouds.

STEP 4 Smudging SKY Working on same layer change to the SMEAR tool/normal/use default settings. Softly smudge white areas to achieve a wispy cloud effect. SAVE

STEP 1 PAINTING TREE TOPS NEW ART MEDIA LAYER, name it Tree Tops Using OIL BRUSH/ normal/ size 10-20/ head loading 20-30/ auto clean ON. Apply 4 or 5 colors using dark to light. Use short rounded strokes in all directions. Once you have your colors down, and are satisfied with the mixture, you will be ready to BLEND them.

STEP 2 Blending TreeTops Working on the same layer you will now blend & add colors of your choice. Using the PALETTE KNIFE/round/size 10-20/head loading 0-3/auto clean ON. When BLENDING the colors set the head loading to 0. When ADDING small amounts of color set head loading to 1-3 and take short strokes. You will begin to see a rhythm of ADD & BLEND etc. until the trees start to take shape. Don't over-do the blending or you'll end up with mud! Work small areas at a time. When satisfied, finish by blending small amounts of grey or purple, and bits of blue from the sky to show depth and shadow. You can also erase very small areas to let sky color come through. The colors should be blended as to be suggestive of distant trees. Try using short, half circle strokes when blending. SAVE

We will now work in the Middleground If you divide the picture into thirds, the top third is the SKY, the second third ends at the horizon line, creating the MIDDLEGROUND and the area below the horizon line creates the last third, the FOREGROUND. Middle and Foreground colors should be brighter and more defined than the sky area colors.

Looking at the middleground we see that the bottom of our bridge curve is about mid-way up from the horizon line and the top of the bridge is at the base of the sky/tree line. With this in mind we begin to paint our bridge.

Step 1 Bridge New Art Media layer, call it Bridge. OIL BRUSH/normal/size 15-30/auto clean OFF. Paint bridge in colors of choice, using black for shadow on right side. Add a few strokes of complimentary color to give bridge a little texture.

Step 2 Sky under bridge New Art Media layer call it middle sky. Place this layer under Bridge layer. OIL BRUSH/normal/size 15 Paint sky color under bridge curve. SAVE

STEP 1 Left Bank Highlight your BRIDGE layer and add a New Art Media layer, name it Left Bank. OIL BRUSH/normal/size 25/auto clean ON. Paint in left bank with light tan color, working down into the foreground.

STEP 2 Left Bank Working on the same layer use OIL BRUSH/ normal/size 10-15/auto clean ON. Paint bank choosing colors in earthy tones, using purple or blue for shadows.

STEP 3 Blending Left Bank Working on same layer Change to PALETTE KNIFE/size 8-15/head loading 0-3 as needed/auto clean ON. Blend and add colors as you did the tree tops. You are trying to achieve a rather steep, slightly rocky surface. When Blending set head loading to 0 When Adding set head loading to 1-3 SAVE

STEP 1 Shrub on left bank New art media layer Name it Shrub Left OIL BRUSH/ normal/size 10-20/ head loading 20-30/auto clean ON. Paint shrub as you did the tree tops layer applying 4-5 colors.

STEP 2 Blending Shrub Left Working on same layer blend as you did Tree Tops layer PALETTE KNIFE/size 10-20/head loading 0-3/auto clean ON. Blending use 0 head loading. Adding color use 1-3 head loading. With a medium grey work in some branches then in sections blend shrub color over them. Keep color blends a little brighter than background tree tops. SAVE

TIME OUT! This painting is near half done and about this time I usually need a break to do some fun stuff! so right here I am going to perk up that rocky bank with some weedy growing stuff, and those background trees with some branches. I often swerve off into these 'extra' layers just to try some idea, they can always be deleted before merging without hurting anything. Join me if you like or scoot the page down a bit and pick up the serious stuff.

Choose several shades of green and place them on your mixer page. New Art Media layer name it weeds/branches OIL BRUSH/ normal/size 4-8/head loading 20-30/auto clean ON Go ahead and make little squiggles and tufts of green in areas of the rocky bank, then in the tree tops swipe a few lines to look like tree trunks and branches and erase or add bits of color over sections of these.

Step 1 Water base New Art Media layer, name it Water base OIL BRUSH/normal/size 20/head loading 30 paint in a light blue color filling remainder of foreground. Do not paint in the middleground.

Step 1 Right Bank New Art Media Layer name it Right Bank OIL BRUSH/ normal/size 8-15/head loading 10-20/autoclean ON Note that this bank is composed of a dark, rocky surface. Choose various shades of purple, dark blue and grey to paint the side edges of rocks and lighter colors to paint tops of rocks and highlights. Work light to dark.

Step 2 Blending Right Bank Working on same layer change to PALETTE KNIFE/normal/round/size 5-15/headloading 0-3/autoclean OFF In the case of molding these rock shapes it helps to work with a dirty brush so we turn off auto clean. With auto clean off you will have to manually clean your brush as needed. Use deep purple or blue for blending shadows, it works much better than using black. A blue-gray works well for top of rock highlights. To mold the rocks, I start with a light color top and then work down the side with a dark color, blend the two edges to create some form. When blending use head load at 0 When adding color use head load at 1-3 SAVE

Step 1 Right Foliage New Art Media Layer name it Right Foliage OIL BRUSH/normal/size 10-20/head loading 10-30/autoclean ON This should be painted to give the impression of overhanging tree limbs and distant trees visible at our horizon line (under bridge curve). Choose Colors that are much brighter here with lots of depth. Paint in dabs of 5 or 6 colors using a half circle motion.

Step 2 Blending Right Foliage PALETTE KNIFE/normal/round/size 5-15/headloading 0-3/autoclean ON When blending colors set head loading to 0 when adding colors set head loading to 1-3 Work blending with short strokes in a half circle motion. Work small areas at a time, use a very deep blue for shadows Colors should be brighter and more defined, use eraser to make ragged tree edges. SAVE

Step 1 Waterfall New Art Media Layer - name it Waterfall OIL BRUSH/round/size 2-5/head load 5-10/autoclean OFF. COLORS: very light blue/green and a soft white, use pure white very sparingly. Drag the brush down to give impression of flowing water. Blend in some darker color to give depth to the water. To make water look like it flows over the edge of rocks extend the rock color into the water in very small areas then BLEND with the Palette knife set to 0. SAVE

You are finished! yes? no? well here is a good place for those extra 'just for fun' layers or for smoothing out lines, adding shadow, making color deeper or lighter etc. Before merging DELETE the Horizon layer. After you merge sign and add borders or a frame to complete your painting. I hope you have enjoyed this tutorial and you will continue to work with the Art Media tool to find that digital painting is not as difficult as you thought.