Explore the beauty of loose, light-filled landscapes in this acrylic painting course inspired by Impressionist techniques. You’ll learn how to capture strong light effects by blocking in dark shapes, establishing clear shadow patterns, and gradually building layers of luminous highlights and mid-tones.

The course will guide you through using cool, colourful shadows alongside warm, vibrant highlights to create depth and atmosphere. You’ll also discover how to introduce small, dynamic figures into your landscapes to enhance the sense of scale, movement, and storytelling—without making them appear stiff or static.

Ideal for those who want to loosen their style and develop confidence in painting light, colour, and expressive brushwork in acrylics.

Week 1 – Understanding Impressionist Light & Loose Brushwork

You’ll be introduced to the key principles of Impressionist landscape painting, focusing on how artists captured light and atmosphere with loose, expressive marks. We’ll begin with quick studies to explore brush handling and paint application.

Week 2 – Blocking in Dark Shapes & Establishing Shadow Patterns

This session focuses on simplifying the landscape by blocking in large dark shapes first. You’ll learn how to establish strong shadow patterns to create structure and guide the viewer’s eye before adding colour and detail.

Week 3 – Building Layers of Light & Mid-Tones

You’ll begin developing your painting by layering lighter values over your dark underpainting. The emphasis will be on building contrast and creating the illusion of strong sunlight using controlled, loose brushstrokes.

Week 4 – Colour Temperature: Cool Shadows & Warm Highlights

Explore how to use cool, colourful shadows and warm, vibrant highlights to create depth and a convincing sense of light. You’ll experiment with colour mixing and learn how temperature shifts can transform a landscape.

Week 5 – Adding Figures & Enhancing Composition

You’ll learn how to introduce small, dynamic figures into your landscape to add scale, interest, and narrative. Techniques will be demonstrated to keep figures loose and integrated into the painting rather than stiff or overly detailed.

Week 6 – Refinement, Atmosphere & Final Details

In the final session, you’ll refine your painting, strengthen light effects, and make final compositional adjustments. We’ll review your progress and discuss how to continue developing your loose, Impressionist painting style beyond the course.