Are you a beginning artist looking to build your skills? This step by step video tutorial of a misty forest is a great activity to develop your skills. This tutorial shows how to use layers, opacity, blending, and more! It’s fairly easy, yet produces a really cool result! It also emphasizes the use of atmospheric perspective to render a sense of space and depth. So let’s make some digital marks…
* Hey educators! Scroll below to purchase this ready-for-class instructional lesson.*
Key terminology for this activity:
Understanding atmospheric perspective is key to drawing a misty forest. Atmospheric perspective is how the atmosphere affects how we see subjects as they recede into the distance. Using atmospheric perspective helps to establish a sense of space and creates the illusion of depth on a 2d plane.
As objects recede into the distance and they are affected by atmosphere, objects will become less saturated and less detailed. A great example of this technique can be observed in this painting by Caspar David Friedrich titled “Wanderer Above a Sea of Fog” 1818.
Looking for a similar project that explores atmospheric perspective with traditional art tools? Check out this lesson here!
What materials will I need?
In my tutorial, I will be using a free web-based drawing program, www.kleki.com. I love this program for beginners because it is so user friendly and focuses on the essentials. However, you may use any digital drawing program of your choice.
I highly recommend if you are a newbie to digital drawing that you invest in a digital drawing tablet. My personal favorite is the Wacom Intuos. The set up is easy, it’s petite but effective, and the stylus has a great feel on the tablet surface. There are lots of pressure points and I just love the response of my marks to the computer.
Video tutorial:
Step by step photos:
Below are step by step photos with instruction of how to create a misty forest. Use these photos to go at your own pace.
Step 1:
Add a layer. Name it ‘ground’
Step 2:
Add monochromatic lines that go from dark to light until you reach about 2/3 up from the bottom of the canvas.
Step 3:
Click ‘edit’ tab and choose the ‘triangular blur’ tool. Blur your lines to create a smooth gradient.
Step 4:
Add a layer. Name it ‘back trees’
Step 5:
Draw small, less saturated, less detailed trees off in the distance (about 2/3 on your canvas).
Step 6:
Add a layer. Name it ‘mid trees’
Step 7:
Add larger, more saturated and more detailed tress in the middle of your canvas
Step 8:
Add a final layer. Name it ‘front trees’
Step 9:
Add dark, saturated and large trees in the foreground. Add details and tiny branches using a small brush.
Final work
Looking to put your own spin on it?
Add a silhouetted creature or character. Change the color palette. Add foilage to your trees. Explore, experiment, evolve! We completed this activity in my middle school art class in the month of October, so we added in some spooky elements like witches and ghosts. Here are some of the results from the talented artists in my class…
*Hey teachers!* Click here for my TpT shop if you’re interested in this lesson, which features a full slideshow presentation and a project specific grading rubric.
I would love to see your finished work! Feel free to email me at makeamarkstudios@gmail.com or tag me @makeamark_studios. Thanks for checking this out!
-Stephanie Villiotis
Enjoyed this lesson? Check out this digital drawing lesson on how to tag a digital graffiti wall?
WOW! Thank you for creating a step-by-step guide that included a YouTube video. Your explanation was informative and detailed.
Awesome, glad you found it useful! Thanks for checking this out
This is really cool! I didn’t know that there were free programs that you can use! I can see this as a great hobby for relaxation and unwinding! Thank you for sharing this!
Thanks! I’ve tried out a few free programs, and this one is definitely the easiest!
This is such an amazing drawing tutorial! My sister and her family enjoy doing art projects together and I will send this to them.
Awesome! It’s a great lesson for artists of all skills levels. Thanks for checking this out.
Can’t wait to try this!
Awesome! Thanks for checking this out!
This is wonderful and your tutorial on YouTube is great too! I never thought digital art was accessible for me until I read your post. Knowing that there are free online resources to begin has inspired me. Thank you!!!
Thank you so much! I’m glad to hear you were inspired and you feel like this is accessible for you. That’s my goal!