Step 1
Have all the materials ready, including the canvas pad. For this painting, I used three pictures that we took while in Sri Lanka for reference. Using a 2-inch brush, I coated the canvas with a thin layer of Liquid Clear in order to spend more time with the sky and background. This helps thin the paint, but linseed oil (and other thinners) may also be used.

Step 2
After finishing the sky, I started to paint the distant hill. I first painted a blue outline of the hill, and then added more detail later on. This bluish appearance is necessary because of the great distance between the hill and the observor, as well as atmospheric conditions. Just look at your natural environment for reference! Generally, I would use darker colors at the base of the hill, and lighter ones at the top.

Step 3
When the details have been added to the hill, I started painting the vegetation. When I paint any solid creature, landmass, or structure, I usually start with a dark layer, and then add lighter colors on top. When done correctly, I think this defines and helps give the object a 3-dimensional appearance. This is very useful when painting buildings and vegetation. The brush picks up the darker colors underneath, making blending easier.

Step 4
It is very easy to correct MOST mistakes in a painting. I didn't like how I painted the muddy color of the water, so I added more blue to the water and blended the colors together. In this step, I also added more detail to the building and road, and decided to paint a small boat as well. I did the outline of the boat in black paint, and waited for it to dry before adding detail.

Step 5
In this step, I added the close foreground with the bird. The entire bird was painted using a small round brush. I also painted detail to the boat, and increased the detail of the forground plants.

Step 6
Let the painting sit for a few days. After drying, frame the finished painting!