Landscape Painting with Gouache for Beginners
A course by Maddy Bellwoar, Painter and Digital Artist
Learn to paint with gouache by sketching and illustrating a colorful, natural environment from a photo reference
Gouache paint is a versatile medium that allows you to experiment with a variety of techniques: wet on wet, opaque layering, dry-brushing and more. By combining gouache with landscape painting, artist Madeleine Bellwoar creates captivating pieces that depict beautiful scenery. She’s collaborated with companies such as Wacom, Adobe, Behance, ArtStation, and Amazon Games
In this online course, Madeleine teaches you the basics of color and composition, and techniques specific to landscape paintings. Learn how to make expressive brushstrokes and fill a blank page with essence of nature.
What will you learn in this online course?
17 lessons & 22 downloads
What's included in this course?
Meet Madeleine Bellwoar, a digital artist, painter, and your teacher for this course. Hear about her creative journey, which led her to the world of landscape painting, and learn about her biggest artistic influences.
Get an overview of the materials needed for this course. Deepen your understanding of gouache by exploring color and value. Learn how to paint foliage, leaf shapes, and the sky.
Next, see how to sketch your landscape from your reference photo. Then it’ll be time to start painting! Start with the background, and then continue with the second layer and details.
To wrap up the course, Madeleine gives you tips for photographing your piece for social media, and gives you advice on how to expand your gouache skills.
- 99% positive reviews (203)
- 13,670 students
- 17 lessons (2h 20m)
- 22 additional resources (8 files)
- Online and at your own pace
- Available on the app
- Audio: English, Spanish, French, Indonesian, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, Turkish
- English · Spanish · Portuguese · German · French · Italian · Polish · Dutch · Turkish · Romanian · Indonesian
- Level: Beginner
- Unlimited access forever
What is this course's project?
Illustrate a landscape from a photo reference using gouache.
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
This course is for anyone interested in learning how to paint with gouache or illustrate landscapes.
Requirements and materials
No previous experience necessary.
To take this course, you need drawing and painting materials.
Reviews
Maddy Bellwoar
A course by Maddy Bellwoar
Madeleine Bellwoar is an independent artist based in the Netherlands. Her work explores the beauty of the natural world through color, light, and texture. She is often in the forest sketching or taking photos and finding inspiration for her next painting. She mainly works with gouache and digital mediums, though she also enjoy watercolor and Ink.
As both a traditional and digital painter, Madeleine has been exploring ways to bring these mediums together through the creation of custom digital brush sets, which use real, traditional brushstrokes and textures. She is passionate about sharing knowledge and has been livestreaming her art process as a featured streamer on Behance and Twitch for the past five years Madeleine has also worked on assets and background painting for Ddraig House Game studio and collaborated with companies such as Wacom, Adobe, Behance, ArtStation, and Amazon Games.
Content
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U1
Introduction
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About Me
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Influences
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U2
The Workplace and Skills for Painting
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Gathering Materials
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Getting Familiar with the Gouache Medium 1
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Getting Familiar with the Gouache Medium 2
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Color and Value: Experimenting with Colors
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Composition and Point of View
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Techniques for Painting Nature 1
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Techniques for Painting Nature 2
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U3
Building the Painting
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Finding and Organizing the Reference
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Planning the Painting and Preparing to Begin
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Blocking in the Basic Background
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Defining Subjects and Values 1
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Defining Subjects and Values 2
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Details, Texture, and Finishing Touches
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U4
Once the Artwork Is Done
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Staging and Photographing Art for Social Media
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Furthering Your Painting Skills
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FP
Final project
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Landscape Painting with Gouache for Beginners
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What to expect from a Domestika course
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Learn at your own pace
Enjoy learning from home without a set schedule and with an easy-to-follow method. You set your own pace.
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Learn from the best professionals
Learn valuable methods and techniques explained by top experts in the creative sector.
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Meet expert teachers
Each expert teaches what they do best, with clear guidelines, true passion, and professional insight in every lesson.
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Certificates
PlusIf you're a Plus member, get a custom certificate signed by your teacher for every course. Share it on your portfolio, social media, or wherever you like.
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Get front-row seats
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Share knowledge and ideas
Ask questions, request feedback, or offer solutions. Share your learning experience with other students in the community who are as passionate about creativity as you are.
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FAQs
Yes, this course is designed for beginners and covers foundational gouache techniques, materials, and step-by-step guidance for nature and landscape painting.
You'll need gouache paints, a mixing palette, watercolor paper, a range of brushes, painter's tape, and water containers. The course includes tips on choosing budget-friendly materials and the best options for beginners.
You’ll learn gouache painting basics, outdoor and studio techniques, color mixing, capturing light and texture, composition strategies, and how to paint foliage, skies, and magical environments inspired by nature.
The course teaches you how to take and select reference photos, analyze them for composition and lighting, and adapt them creatively for painting both in the studio and outdoors.
Yes, you’ll learn methods to paint dappled lighting, create mood with color, and use value structure and color temperature to convey atmosphere in your landscapes.
Yes, you’ll explore Studio Ghibli-inspired background painting, focusing on balancing realism and whimsy, and using light and color to create magical, atmospheric environments.
The course covers brush selection, recommending flat, round, fan, and mop brushes for different textures, details, and effects in gouache landscape painting.
Corso affascinante, concetti spiegati in maniera chiara e tecniche alla portata anche di un principiante che se seguite accuratamente permettono di ottenere un risultato sorprendentemente buono anche dai primi tentativi. Durante la spiegazione fornisce sempre molti spunti e trucchi. Consiglio vivamente questo corso!!!
Este curso me ha parecido realmente espectacular. Ella SÍ se toma el tiempo de explicarte conceptos básicos de los que en otros cursos no se habla pero sí se menciona (lo cual muchas veces es confuso). Me encanta cómo aborda la técnica desde la particularidad del material, cómo da tips mientras va pintando y cómo te ayuda a estar en paz con lo que uno puede pensar que es un error.
I loved the course. I am new to gouache and to painting in general, so having lessons on color theory was really helpful, also building the landscape step by step was enjoyable
Está genial, la profesora Maddy explica muy bien y paso a paso.
Estaba muy entusiasmada de poder comenzar a pintar en cuanto conseguí los materiales, y tomar este curso fue la mejor decisión para sentirme segura con ellos.
Muchas gracias!