another beautiful day acrylic landscape painting 3

Paint a Peaceful Autumn Lake with Glowing Morning Light | Acrylic Landscape Painting Tutorial

In this lesson, we’ll create the foundation of this vibrant autumn landscape by painting the luminous sky, distant woodland, brilliant fall foliage, grassy shoreline, and the calm reflective lake. By working from the background toward the foreground, you’ll establish depth, atmosphere, and beautiful color harmony before adding the large foreground trees and final details in Part 2.

This painting focuses on creating soft transitions, rich autumn colors, and realistic water reflections using one of our favorite landscape brushes—the 4″ Flat Oval Brush from the 3 Oval Brushes Set. You’ll also learn how the Custom Bristle Brush can quickly produce natural-looking clusters of leaves while keeping the painting loose, fresh, and full of life.

Take your time during this stage. A strong foundation will make every detail you add later appear more natural and convincing.

Materials Needed

Surface

• Stretched canvas (any size)

Acrylic Paint Colors

• Titanium White
• Mars Black
• Yellow Oxide
• Cadmium Yellow Medium
• Burnt Sienna
• Raw Sienna
• Crimson
• Alizarin Crimson
• Sap Green
• Yellow Green
• Phthalo Green
• Burnt Umber

Brushes Used

• 4″ Flat Oval Brush (from the 3 Oval Brushes Set)
• Ultrasoft Blending Brush
• #4 Big Square Brush
• Filbert Brush
• Small Square Brush
• Custom Bristle Brush
• Detail Liner Brush (used in Part 2)

Step 1 – Prepare the Canvas

Begin with a clean, dry canvas. If you enjoy working wet-on-wet, lightly mist the surface with water or apply a very thin coat of clear acrylic medium. The surface should be slightly damp but not overly wet.

Before painting, take a moment to study the composition. Notice how the brightest area of the sky is positioned behind the foreground trees. This contrast creates depth and immediately draws the viewer’s attention into the painting.

Throughout this lesson, work from light colors toward darker ones while keeping your brushwork loose and expressive.

Step 2 – Paint the Glowing Morning Sky

Using the 4″ Flat Oval Brush from the 3 Oval Brushes Set, begin covering the upper portion of the canvas with Titanium White.

While the paint is still wet, gradually introduce small amounts of Yellow Oxide, Cadmium Yellow Medium, and Burnt Sienna into selected areas. Blend the colors together using long sweeping strokes combined with gentle circular motions.

Avoid creating defined clouds.

Instead, allow the colors to softly melt into one another, creating the appearance of glowing morning light filtering through distant mist.

Leave several bright white areas untouched. These will become the strongest light source within the finished composition.

If any transitions appear too harsh, lightly soften them using the Ultrasoft Blending Brush. The goal is to create a smooth atmospheric background while preserving subtle color variations.

Step 3 – Build Atmospheric Distance

Mix a soft neutral gray using Titanium White, Mars Black, and a small amount of Burnt Sienna.

Using the #4 Big Square Brush, lightly apply this mixture across portions of the middle background where distant woodland will eventually appear.

Blend these shapes gently into the sky using the Ultrasoft Blending Brush.

The distant landscape should appear slightly hazy rather than sharply defined. This atmospheric perspective helps separate the background from the colorful foreground that will be added later.

Step 4 – Paint the Distant Tree Line

Using the #4 Big Square Brush, mix Sap Green, Burnt Umber, and a touch of Mars Black.

Begin tapping an uneven tree line across the center of the canvas.

Rather than painting individual trees, create one continuous woodland silhouette with varying heights.

Allow some sections to rise slightly higher while others remain lower.

Leave occasional openings where the bright sky remains visible. These small gaps help create the illusion of sunlight filtering through the distant forest.

Keep this entire section soft and slightly out of focus.

The foreground trees added later should remain the primary focal point.

Step 5 – Create the Autumn Foliage

Switch to the Custom Bristle Brush.

This brush makes it easy to create realistic clusters of leaves with very little effort.

Begin with the lighter colors first.

Load only the tips of the bristles using Yellow Oxide and Cadmium Yellow Medium, then gently tap the brush onto the canvas to build large masses of foliage.

As the tree shapes develop, gradually introduce Burnt Sienna, Crimson, and Alizarin Crimson.

Allow the colors to overlap naturally.

Avoid creating perfectly round trees.

Instead, vary the edges by allowing some areas to extend outward while others recede into the background.

Continue layering different colors over one another to produce depth and natural variation.

The Custom Bristle Brush creates thousands of irregular leaf shapes, giving the foliage a soft, organic appearance without requiring individual brushstrokes.

Step 6 – Paint the Colorful Undergrowth

Continue using the Custom Bristle Brush.

Create dense clusters of colorful shrubs beneath the larger trees using combinations of:

• Crimson
• Burnt Sienna
• Yellow Oxide
• Sap Green

Apply the paint using light tapping motions.

Allow some of the previous colors to remain visible underneath.

Building multiple transparent layers gives the landscape richness and prevents it from appearing flat.

Vary both the height and density of the shrubs while leaving occasional openings that reveal the distant woodland behind them.

Step 7 – Paint the Shoreline

Using the Filbert Brush, mix Sap Green, Yellow Green, and Burnt Umber.

Paint the grassy shoreline using mostly horizontal strokes.

Keep the shoreline uneven and natural.

Allow small curves and slight variations along the water’s edge.

Introduce darker greens beneath portions of the shrubs to create shadow and separate the foliage from the grassy bank.

These subtle value changes greatly increase the illusion of depth.

Step 8 – Block In the Water

Return to the 4″ Flat Oval Brush.

Mix Burnt Sienna, Crimson, Titanium White, and a small amount of Mars Black.

Apply the mixture across the entire lake using long horizontal strokes.

Allow the colors to vary naturally.

Some sections should appear warmer while others remain cooler.

Do not completely blend every area together.

These subtle color variations will help create convincing reflections in the next step.

Step 9 – Create Realistic Reflections Using the 4″ Flat Oval Brush

One of the signature techniques in this painting is creating soft, natural reflections using the 4″ Flat Oval Brush from the 3 Oval Brushes Set.

After completing the colorful shoreline while the paint is still wet, use the clean 4″ Flat Oval Brush to begin transferring the shoreline into the water.

Position the brush directly beneath the matching colors along the shoreline.

Using smooth vertical strokes, gently pull the colors straight downward into the lake.

Work one section at a time.

Pull the bright yellow foliage directly below the yellow trees.

Pull the crimson reflections beneath the red bushes.

Continue matching each reflection with the landscape directly above it.

Avoid dragging the brush diagonally or side to side during this stage.

Vertical strokes preserve the natural position of every reflection.

After completing the vertical reflections, wipe the brush clean if necessary.

Using very light pressure, glide the 4″ Flat Oval Brush horizontally across the surface of the water.

These soft horizontal passes blend the reflections together just enough to create the appearance of calm water while still preserving the beautiful vertical movement beneath.

The wide shape of the 4″ Flat Oval Brush allows large reflective areas to be blended quickly without destroying the natural color transitions.

If additional depth is needed, repeat the process by lightly pulling selected shoreline colors downward again before making another gentle horizontal pass.

Avoid excessive blending.

Leaving subtle vertical texture within the reflections gives the lake a peaceful, glass-like appearance while maintaining the illusion of gentle movement.

Step 10 – Position the Foreground Trees

Before applying paint, study the composition carefully.

Notice how the three foreground trees naturally frame the landscape instead of standing directly in the center. Their placement guides the viewer’s eye toward the colorful shoreline and reflective lake.

Using the Detail Liner Brush, lightly sketch the main trunks with diluted Mars Black.

Avoid perfectly straight lines.

Allow each trunk to curve gently as it rises toward the top of the canvas. Real trees naturally change direction as they grow, so slight bends and irregularities will make them appear much more believable.

Keep the spacing between each tree uneven. This prevents the composition from feeling rigid or symmetrical.

Step 11 – Paint the Tree Trunks

Switch to the Filbert Brush.

Mix Mars Black with Burnt Umber and a very small amount of Ultramarine Blue to create a rich, dark bark color.

Using long vertical strokes, paint each trunk from the bottom upward.

Gradually increase pressure as the trunks widen near the base, then reduce pressure as they narrow toward the upper branches.

Avoid making smooth, perfectly even edges.

Allow the Filbert Brush to create subtle irregularities along the sides of each trunk to mimic natural bark.

Remember that these foreground trees are the darkest objects in the painting. Their strong contrast against the luminous background creates much of the painting’s visual depth.

Step 12 – Build Strong Natural Branches

Continue using the Filbert Brush.

Allow the larger branches to grow naturally from the trunks rather than appearing attached.

Each branch should gradually taper as it extends outward.

Some branches gently rise toward the sky while others curve downward under their own weight.

Vary both their thickness and direction.

Avoid repeating similar shapes.

Notice that several branches extend into the brightest portions of the sky. These overlapping silhouettes create dramatic contrast and help frame the glowing background.

Leave generous open spaces between branches.

These negative spaces allow the light behind them to remain visible and prevent the canopy from becoming too heavy.

Step 13 – Add Realistic Bark Highlights

Using the Small Square Brush, mix Titanium White, Yellow Oxide, and a touch of Burnt Sienna.

Apply these lighter colors along the sides of the trunks facing the light source.

Do not paint solid stripes.

Instead, use broken vertical strokes, allowing portions of the darker bark to remain visible underneath.

These irregular highlights give the trunks the appearance of rough textured bark catching the morning sunlight.

Repeat the same process on the larger branches, reducing the size of the highlights as the branches become thinner.

Step 14 – Build the Foreground Canopy Using the Custom Bristle Brush

The majority of the detailed foliage in this painting is created using the Custom Bristle Brush.

Its specially designed bristles naturally produce clusters of realistic leaves, allowing you to build dense canopies quickly while maintaining a loose, organic appearance.

Load only the tips of the bristles with paint.

Alternate between:

• Yellow Green
• Sap Green
• Cadmium Yellow Medium
• Yellow Oxide
• Burnt Sienna
• Crimson
• Alizarin Crimson

Begin tapping the brush lightly around the upper branches.

Rather than outlining the tree, gradually build overlapping clusters of leaves.

Some areas should remain dense while others stay open, allowing the bright morning sky to shine through.

Continue layering different colors over one another.

Apply darker greens and reds first, followed by brighter yellows on top to represent leaves illuminated by sunlight.

Resist the temptation to fill every opening.

The spaces between the leaf clusters are just as important as the leaves themselves, creating depth and allowing the branches to remain visible.

Step 15 – Refine the Background Foliage

Continue using the Custom Bristle Brush.

Return to portions of the background trees and shrubs.

Lightly tap additional highlights into selected areas using Cadmium Yellow Medium and Yellow Oxide.

Increase contrast by placing brighter colors beside deeper crimson foliage.

If necessary, introduce small touches of Sap Green to cool portions of the landscape and create greater color variation.

Avoid covering the earlier layers completely.

Allow previous colors to remain visible through the new leaf textures.

These overlapping layers create the rich depth found in natural autumn forests.

Step 16 – Complete the Shoreline and Foreground Grass

Switch to the Filbert Brush.

Mix several green tones using Sap Green, Yellow Green, Burnt Umber, and small amounts of Yellow Oxide.

Using short upward strokes, build the foreground grass across the bottom of the canvas.

Vary both the height and direction of the grass.

Some blades should lean while others stand upright.

Near the base of the trees, introduce darker greens to suggest shadow.

Toward the open areas, gradually transition to brighter yellow-green highlights where the morning sunlight reaches the ground.

Strengthen portions of the shoreline by adding small grasses and low shrubs extending toward the water.

Keep the shoreline uneven and natural.

Step 17 – Preserve the Water Surface

Using the 4″ Flat Oval Brush from the 3 Oval Brushes Set, inspect the reflections created in Part 1.

If any areas appear too harsh, make one final, extremely light horizontal pass across selected sections of the lake.

Use almost no pressure.

This final pass softens any unwanted edges while preserving the beautiful reflections already established.

Avoid overworking the surface.

Leaving slight vertical movement within the reflections helps maintain the illusion of calm, gently rippling water.

Step 18 – Add Water Highlights

Using the Detail Liner Brush, thin Titanium White slightly with water.

Paint a series of delicate horizontal highlights across selected portions of the lake.

Keep these lines broken rather than continuous.

Allow some highlights to disappear naturally as they cross darker reflections.

Add a few tiny white sparkles scattered across the water’s surface.

These small details suggest sunlight dancing across the calm lake without overpowering the reflections beneath.

Less is more.

A handful of carefully placed highlights is far more convincing than covering the entire lake.

Step 19 – Scatter Fallen Autumn Leaves

Return to the Custom Bristle Brush.

Using very small amounts of Cadmium Yellow Medium, Yellow Oxide, Burnt Sienna, and Crimson, lightly tap scattered fallen leaves across the grassy foreground.

Concentrate more leaves beneath the foreground trees.

Gradually reduce their number as they move toward the open grassy areas.

Allow the colors to vary naturally.

This simple detail helps visually connect the foreground with the colorful trees beyond the lake.

Step 20 – Add Final Branch Details

Using the Detail Liner Brush, mix Mars Black with a small amount of Burnt Umber.

Paint a few thin secondary branches extending from the larger limbs.

Work quickly using confident strokes.

Allow each branch to taper naturally toward its tip.

Avoid adding too many branches.

Only a few carefully placed lines are needed to support the foliage and maintain the graceful appearance of the trees.

Step 21 – Final Highlights and Evaluation

Step back from the painting and view it from a distance.

Look for opportunities to improve the balance of light and contrast.

Add a few final highlights to:

• The sunlit sides of the tree trunks.
• Selected leaf clusters catching the morning light.
• Small grasses along the shoreline.
• A few isolated water sparkles.
• Bright areas within the colorful shrubs.

If necessary, soften any overly sharp transitions using the Ultrasoft Blending Brush, taking care not to disturb the crisp details you’ve just completed.

Finally, sign your painting in a location that complements the composition without drawing attention away from the landscape.

Conclusion

Congratulations! You have completed Another Beautiful Day, a peaceful acrylic landscape that celebrates the beauty of an autumn morning reflected across still water. Throughout this tutorial, you learned how to build depth by working from soft atmospheric backgrounds toward bold foreground elements, create vibrant foliage with the Custom Bristle Brush, and paint realistic reflections using the 4″ Flat Oval Brush from the 3 Oval Brushes Set.

These techniques can be applied to countless landscape paintings, allowing you to experiment with different seasons, lighting conditions, and color palettes while continuing to develop your own artistic style. With patience, thoughtful layering, and the right brushes, you’ll be able to create landscapes filled with depth, movement, and the quiet beauty found in nature.