Mountain Sketching Watercolor Tutorial

In this tutorial, we'll explore the art of capturing the beauty of alpine landscapes. From vibrant green grass to charming chalets and majestic mountains, learn how to bring these scenes to life with your sketches! Remember to add your own personal touch and style along the way to make it uniquely yours.

  • Watercolor paper (Etchr sketchbook 300 gsm, 100% cotton)

  • Watercolor brushes (one medium round brush, one small brush for details)

  • Watercolor palette (you can use a white ceramic plate)

  • Sepia (Rembrandt)

  • Burnt sienna (Rembrandt)

  • Sap green (Sennelier)

  • Cobalt blue (Winsor&Newton)

  • Ultramarine blue (Winsor&Newton)

  • Aureolin Yellow (Mijello)

The exact supplies I used are not critical, but I've listed everything below. My sketchbook is from Etchr and it has a 100% cotton paper (but for sketching it’s not critical), watercolor paint (either tube or pan), and a couple of brushes. Here’s the reference photo I’ve used.

Supplies I Used:

Step 1. Setting the focus and pencil sketch

Before we even start the pencil sketch, let's take a moment to reflect on the essence of the scene. Ask yourself, "Why am I drawn to this particular view? What aspects of it captivate me?" When working from life, it's easy to get lost in the abundance of details and distractions.

In this specific scene, I made a deliberate choice to center the composition around the cute little house and the vibrant grass in the foreground. It means that all the other elements will be intentionally kept in the background.

Step 2. Sky and the mountains

Using a very diluted cobalt blue, I create a light wash for the sky. I intentionally make it lighter than in the reference picture to ensure it doesn't draw too much attention. Leaving some white paper for the clouds, I add a touch of grey shadow at the bottom. You can use a ready-made watercolor paint (like Payne’s grey) or mix burnt sienna and ultramarine, like I did. Moving on, I apply the same grey mix to cover the mountain on the right side.

Step 3. Adding details to the mountain

Then, I start adding details to the mountain. To imitate the texture of the rocks I use almost dry brush and a slightly darker grey mixture (with a bit more ultramarine blue). As for the distant forest, I mix ultramarine blue and sap green to achieve a cooler, darker green shade. Try not to overwork the mountains in the background as they are not the focal point of our sketch today.

Step 4. Working on the forest and foreground grass

I repeat the same steps for the mountain on the left making it even less detailed as it’s further away from us. Moving forward, I create a warmer green shade by combining cobalt blue and sap green, with a higher concentration of sap green this time. Remember, objects that are closer to us tend to appear warmer in color. I add some individual trees near the house, drawing attention to this particular area.

Lastly, I mix an even warmer shade of green for the grass using a mix of sap green and yellow. By intentionally leaving some areas of the paper white, I want to give my sketch a slightly "unfinished" charm.

Step 5. Adding final touches to the foreground and painting the house

As we reach the final step, I focus on the texture of the grass by using a small brush and a thicker mix of sap green and yellow. I paint individual blades of grass at the bottom, bringing more depth to this area. Then, I add a few yellow dots scattered throughout the grass to represent flowers.

Moving on to the house, I use burnt sienna to paint the roof and a combination of sepia and sienna for the wood. I make the right side of the house darker to indicate it's in the shadows. A couple of splashes and we are done!

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and found inspiration to go on your own sketching adventures. Keep exploring, creating, and embracing the beauty of the world around you. Happy sketching!

If you're interested in learning watercolor more seriously, I regularly offer private in-person watercolor workshops in my home studio in Adliswil or group watercolor workshops in Zürich. Subscribe to my newsletter and Instagram to get the announcements!