Paint an Easy Watercolor Lake Scene Step-by-step

Learn how to paint an easy watercolor lake scene step-by-step in this online art lesson. Complete with trees, and reflections on water this painting video tutorial for beginners is simple and fun to create.

Focusing on basic watercolor skills and techniques, this art class walks you through all the steps to paint a relaxing lake-scape scene. Discover a simple way of painting trees in the distance and closer up in the foreground.

Painting of a watercolor lake scene with trees, a hill and reflections on the water next to paint brushes.

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Materials
How to Watercolor a Lake Scene Video
Transcript
Art Lesson
Tips and tricks
Lesson Downloads
For More Practice
What to Do with Your Painting
Frequently Asked Questions
You also might like

Keep the painting strokes loose and easy, allowing for an impressionistic style. Creating a beautiful lake landscape has never been easier.

There is no need to paint every leaf, branch, and ripple on the water. Instead, think about the way light and texture appears in nature and the way that shapes compose what we see.

Materials

Watercolor paper - I am using 140 lb. Strathmore Vision cold press watercolor paper cut down into a 6 x 9-inch piece.
Watercolor paint - tube watercolor paint on a pallet or a box kit of watercolor paints. Don’t worry if you don’t have the same colors, you can use whatever you have on hand. I use:
- Cerulean Blue
- Yellow Ocher
- Viridian green
- Black
- Cadmium Yellow
- Ultramarine blue
- Burnt umber
- Burnt Sienna
- Alizarin Crimson

Paint brushes - I am using #4 round, 3/4 inch flat
Water
Paper towels

How to Watercolor a Lake Scene Video

Transcript

Read Transcript

Hi everyone. Welcome to another great art lesson. This time we are going to learn how to paint an easy watercolor lake scene step by step. Let's jump right in.

Start by sketching in your lake scene. I'm making my lines a little bit darker than you will want to make yours, so that you can see them on the camera. You will want to make your lines just about as light as possible that way they don't show up underneath your watercolor paint.

I am keeping my, my shapes really general, they are not too specific it's it's just kind of a simplified version of these trees.

This branch comes out across, it kind of hangs over the water in the foreground.

Then it comes down and touches the water and then there's a reflection of it here.

I am also going to just draw a really simplified shape of these trees as they're reflected in the water. Just a mirror image of what we're seeing up above. I just added in that little line. It is just a little gap I'm going to leave a sliver of white as I am working.

That that sliver of white will just help the illusion of there being water and reflections on that water.

Start with some cerulean blue up here in the sky.

I like to leave the sky really nice and light in this painting so that most of the focus is down on the water but you could make it a little bit darker if you would like.

Do not worry if you overlap the trees a little bit, the blue of the sky will blend right in with the green of the trees.

This is a yellow ochre. Go ahead and add some of that yellow ochre into that hill that's in the distance.

You want to let your sky dry for just a minute or two before you bring that ochre right up next to it otherwise it might bleed into it. But you will just want to make sure that both areas are not too wet when you are adding in the yellow with the blue. I just added in a little bit of burnt umber or a darker brown for some details in that hill.

Mix together a little bit of viridian green and yellow and just a tiny dab of black for kind of a middle toned green.

Start painting in the center of all the trees, the middle part of all the trees. We are going to leave the right side of the trees for a yellowish highlight and then the left side will be more in shadow so that will be a darker green. So we are going down the center of the trees.

Adding in some of this really nice middle green into the branch that is in the foreground.

I am keeping my strokes really nice and loose.

Now I'm mixing together just a little tiny bit of green with yellow and adding that color to the right side of all the trees and branches.

Hitting the top of that, that branch in the foreground with yellow. The sunlight is really hitting the top so there's a lot of yellow in there.

Doing a little bit, bit of dabbing to get a little bit of texture.

Rinsing out my brush. I have mixed together here a little bit of veridian and green with black to make a nice dark shadowy green.

Which I am adding to the left side of each tree or bush.

It is okay in this area to leave a little bit of white here and there.

I can always refer back to the source photo to see where all the lights and darks really are.

Adding these, dabbing in some shadows in the tree in the foreground here.

I just want to be aware that I'm not adding these colors in a certain kind of pattern I want to keep them irregular.

There are always going to be some areas that are darker than others and some areas that are lighter than others.

Now, I'm using just yellow by itself and hitting those highlights again with that yellow. And going back in with the colors all over again is adding more layers and more texture. Watercolor painting is largely about building up layers of color and texture.

Mixing a little bit more green together and adding some more texture right down the middle of those trees. I could add in a few hints of branches or trunks.

Then hitting those shadowy areas again and this time really getting some nice dark shadows in there with the green-black mix.

Use a little bit of blue paint to paint in some of those shadow areas as well.

When you are out in nature and observing it you can squint your eyes a little bit and you can actually see all those different areas of color.

There are actually usually a lot of different colors that make up, make up what we see in the world. There is not always just a single solid color.

Now I am going to go in with the water. I am going to try to make it, the water, a little bit darker down towards me and as it gets further away it can be a little bit lighter.

I want to make sure that my strokes are nice and loose here but I'm also leaving a few little streaks of white.

So it is those white streaks that give us the illusion of ripples in the water.

You can even clean out your brush and go back in and lift out some areas to add a few more streaks or ripples back into the water.

I am adding just a little bit of black in with my blue paint so that here in the foreground the water is a little bit darker.

Blending it together a little bit where I just added it in. When it dries it should all blend together pretty well.

Moving back to my smaller brush, I am going to paint my tree reflections. Using the same colors as I did up above, basically just mirroring those same shapes. So I'm starting with the middle green, I am going to make little lines going across in kind of a loose fashion.

Those lines make it appear like it's rippled, like the water has a lot of movement to it.

Now if you wanted your reflection to be perfectly smooth like there's no wind at all you could make your tree reflection shapes more solid without the little streaks and lines in between it. That would be fine too.

Yellow on the right side of the reflections, again just mirroring mirroring what I see above.

Here in the reflections, I can add a lot less detail than in the real trees.

Now I'm adding the shadows.

Keep these strokes nice and loose and easy. Making sure to leave that little white line in between the water and the land.

Adding a few dabs of blue just like I did up above.

Painting in, I am painting in this shadow of the tree in the foreground and leaving a little streak of white between the tree and Its reflection as well.

And because this shadow is closer to us we can make it really nice and dark. I'm mixing in a little bit of black and blue in with my green and now I can go back in and lift out a few little streaks to indicate more ripples.

I am using a little bit of crimson red and adding just a little, a few dabs to it, to just to add a little bit more color and of course in nature when we look and squint you can see all these different colors that come together to make up, makeup trees. So just a little tiny hint of crimson.

Lastly, I am going to add in the branches in brown, that burnt Umber.

A few little hints of branches coming through the tree. And then also, a little line at the top of that white line that I've left I am going to add in just a little bit of brown, an irregular line, a broken line, to indicate some of the land that is peeking through.

That is all there is to it. Remember learning how to paint is a journey so just keep practicing. I hope you enjoyed painting along with me. Thanks for watching and I hope you can join me again soon.

Art Lesson

Sketch

Sketch the lake scene very lightly. Make sure the lines are light enough they will not show through the paint. Don’t add a lot of detail, focus on drawing the basic shapes.

2. Paint the sky and hill

Paint the sky with cerulean blue. It is ok if you overlap into the trees a tiny bit. Let the sky dry slightly before painting the hill otherwise, the colors may bleed into each other.
Use yellow ocher paint to color the hill in the distance. Use burnt umber to add a few darker details in this area.

Sketch of a lake scene next to a watercolor palette. — Lightly sketch the lake scene

A lake scene with some paint in it next to a watercolor palette. — Paint the sky and hill

3. Add greens and yellows to the trees

Mix viridian green, yellow, and a small amount of black and paint it in the middle-toned area of the trees. Remember to paint the tree in the foreground.
Paint a light yellowish green into the light areas of the trees where the sunlight is hitting. This is mainly on the top and right side of the trees.
Mix a small amount of black and green. Use this color to paint in the darker areas of the trees. The shadows are mainly on the left and bottom of the shapes.
Repeat adding another layer of paint and texture to the trees in each of the three areas using middle green, yellow, and dark green.
Paint ultramarine blue into some shadows.

A lake scene with trees painted next to a watercolor palette. — Add shadows to the trees

4. Paint the water

Use ultramarine blue to paint the water. Leave a thin white line between the edge of the trees and the lake. Add more paint to the water in the foreground and less pigment as it recedes into the distance.
Leave a few slivers of white in the water to indicate ripples. Dab the paint on for some added texture and movement in the water.
Use a clean brush to lift off some of the color, if desired. This will add a few more white horizontal lines for ripples.

5. Add in the reflections

Paint a mirror image of the trees above, leaving horizontal strips of water showing through. Add in the reflections while the blue paint of the water is still damp.
Use the middle-tone green in the center of the reflections, yellow on the right, and the green-black mix on the left.
Dab some ultramarine blue into the shadows where it appears above.
Paint a mixture of black, blue, and green in the water directly below the tree in the foreground, leaving some strips of water peaking through.

A lake scene with trees and water painted next to a watercolor palette. — Paint the water

A lake scene with trees, water and reflections painted next to a watercolor palette. — Add in reflections

6. Paint the final details

Use Alizarin Crimson, or red to add just a few dabs of color in the trees and reflections.
Paint the tree branch in the foreground using burnt Sienna or brown.
Add a thin broken line at the base of the trees to indicate the ground using burnt Sienna. Leave the white line between the brown line and the beginning of the water.

A lake scene with trees, water and reflections and artist's hand painting in details next to a watercolor palette. — Paint the final details

Tips and tricks

Use a 2B pencil or other hard light pencil to create the sketch and make the lines as light as possible.
Keep your strokes nice and loose. Relax your hand and arm when painting.
Avoid painting the reflections in a solid shape. Instead use horizontal strokes leaving strips of water in between.
To add a sense of depth in the painting make the colors in the foreground brighter and darker. Allow the colors in the distance to be lighter.

Painting of a watercolor lake scene with trees, a hill and reflections on the water next to paint brushes and a watercolor palette.

Paint an Easy Watercolor Lake Scene Step-by-step

Equipment

Watercolor paper I am using 140 lb. Strathmore Vision cold press watercolor paper cut down into a 6 x 9-inch piece.
Watercolor paint - tube watercolor paint on a pallet or a box kit of watercolor paints. Don’t worry if you don’t have the same colors, you can use whatever you have on hand. I use: Cerulean Blue, Yellow Ocher, Viridian green, Black, Cadmium Yellow, Ultramarine blue, Burnt umber, Burnt Sienna , Alizarin Crimson
Paint brushes I am using #4 round, 3/4 inch flat
Water
Paper towels

Instructions

Sketch

Sketch the lake scene very lightly. Make sure the lines are light enough they will not show through the paint. Don’t add a lot of detail, focus on drawing the basic shapes.

Paint the sky and hill

Paint the sky with cerulean blue. It is ok if you overlap into the trees a tiny bit. Let the sky dry slightly before painting the hill otherwise, the colors may bleed into each other.
Use yellow ocher paint to color the hill in the distance. Use burnt umber to add a few darker details in this area.

Add greens and yellows in the trees

Mix viridian green, yellow, and a small amount of black and paint it in the middle-toned area of the trees. Remember to paint the tree in the foreground.
Paint a light yellowish green into the light areas of the trees where the sunlight is hitting. This is mainly on the top and right side of the trees.
Mix a small amount of black and green. Use this color to paint in the darker areas of the trees. The shadows are mainly on the left and bottom of the shapes.
Repeat adding another layer of paint and texture to the trees in each of the three areas using middle green, yellow, and dark green.
Paint ultramarine blue into some shadows.

Paint the water

Use ultramarine blue to paint the water. Leave a thin white line between the edge of the trees and the lake. Add more paint to the water in the foreground and less pigment as it recedes into the distance.
Leave a few slivers of white in the water to indicate ripples. Dab the paint on for some added texture and movement in the water.
Use a clean brush to lift off some of the color, if desired. This will add a few more white horizontal lines for ripples.

Add the reflections

Paint a mirror image of the trees above, leaving horizontal strips of water showing through. Add in the reflections while the blue paint of the water is still damp.
Use the middle-tone green in the center of the reflections, yellow on the right, and the green-black mix on the left.
Dab some ultramarine blue into the shadows where it appears above.
Paint a mixture of black, blue, and green in the water directly below the tree in the foreground, leaving some strips of water peaking through.

Paint the final details

Use Alizarin Crimson, or red to add just a few dabs of color in the trees and reflections.
Paint the tree branch in the foreground using burnt Sienna or brown.
Add a thin broken line at the base of the trees to indicate the ground using burnt Sienna. Leave the white line between the brown line and the beginning of the water.

Notes

Use a 2B pencil or other hard light pencil to create the sketch and make the lines as light as possible.

Keep your strokes nice and loose. Relax your hand and arm when painting.

Avoid painting the reflections in a solid shape. Instead use horizontal strokes leaving strips of water in between.

To add a sense of depth in the painting make the colors in the foreground brighter and darker. Allow the colors in the distance to be lighter.

Lesson Downloads

Lake Scene Photo for Painting Tutorial Download

For More Practice

Practice painting only trees.
Paint the scene from a different picture of a lake, your own photo, or one from a magazine or the internet.
Imagine this landscape during a different season. What would be different in the winter or fall? Try painting fall-colored leaves or bare winter branches.
For fun, paint the same image in a different style such as cubism, minimalism, or surrealism.

What to Do with Your Painting

Painting of a watercolor lake scene with trees, a hill and reflections on the water hanging on a wall above a couch.

This is a great painting to frame and display on your wall. It would also make a wonderful gift, perfect for any holiday or special occasion.

Alternatively, add this beautiful lake-scape painting to your portfolio. It is a good idea to save completed paintings, drawings, and sketches to track your progress.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you watercolor paint a lake?

First, lightly sketch the lake scene you will paint. Leave a thin white line between the land and the edge of the water. Paint middle tones or light colors first and dark colors and shadows last.

Paint in the color of the water and paint reflections on the surface while it is still damp. Leave some horizontal strips of paper in the water for ripples.

What do you paint first in watercolor?

With watercolors, paint from light to dark. Start with the highlights and middle tones, then gradually get darker, slowly building up the layers of color and texture.

Do you sketch before watercolor?

When using watercolor you can sketch out your painting before adding paint. Sketch as lightly as possible so the pencil does not show through the paint when completed. Pencil lines cannot be erased after they are painted over.

Painting of a watercolor lake scene with trees, a hill and reflections on the water.

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Please leave your questions, comments, and ratings below!

Materials

How to Watercolor a Lake Scene Video

Transcript

Art Lesson

Tips and tricks

Paint an Easy Watercolor Lake Scene Step-by-step

Equipment

Instructions

Sketch

Paint the sky and hill

Add greens and yellows in the trees

Paint the water

Add the reflections

Paint the final details

Notes

Lesson Downloads

For More Practice

What to Do with Your Painting

Frequently Asked Questions

You also might like

More Simple Watercolor painting for beginners

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