How to Capture the Energy of Nature in Bold Acrylic Landscapes

Nature is full of life, energy, and movement, and capturing that in a landscape painting takes more than just technical skill—it’s about embracing the wildness and spontaneity of the natural world. When painting landscapes in a loose and bold acrylic style, you can break free from rigid structures and focus on the emotions, colours, and rhythms that make nature so vibrant.

Here’s how to capture the energy of nature in your bold acrylic landscapes.

1. Begin with a Dynamic Composition

A strong composition is key to any successful landscape painting, but in a loose and bold style, it’s important to keep things dynamic. Avoid centring your horizon or focal points perfectly—instead, create a sense of movement by positioning key elements off-centre, using diagonal lines, or framing the scene in a way that leads the viewer’s eye across the canvas.

Penny’s Composition Tip:
I like to use sweeping lines or paths in the landscape to guide the viewer’s eye. For example, a winding river or a sloping hillside adds energy to the composition, making it feel like the scene is unfolding before you. Keep the composition lively by avoiding rigid symmetry.

2. Layer Colour to Build Atmosphere

Landscapes often have a sense of depth that comes from layers of colour and atmosphere. In a loose style, you can build up these layers by starting with broader washes of colour and gradually adding more detail and texture as you go. Don’t be afraid to mix colours directly on the canvas to create soft transitions and natural gradients.

Penny’s Approach:
I love using wet-on-wet techniques for the first layers, applying broad strokes of colour with a large brush. This keeps the landscape feeling loose and organic, allowing the colours to blend naturally. As I build up the painting, I introduce more distinct brushstrokes to add texture and define key areas.

3. Use Bold Brushstrokes for Natural Textures

Nature is full of textures—tree bark, rocky cliffs, grassy fields, or rippling water. Instead of painstakingly replicating these textures, use bold, loose brushstrokes to suggest them. Thick, expressive strokes can evoke the feeling of rough bark or the swaying of grass in the wind without getting bogged down in details.

Penny’s Texture Trick:
I often use a fan brush or a dry brush to create loose, sweeping strokes that suggest movement in foliage or water. This keeps the painting from feeling too controlled and adds a sense of motion to the landscape.

4. Exaggerate Colour to Capture the Energy of Nature

One of the most powerful tools in your artistic arsenal is colour. In a bold landscape painting, don’t be afraid to exaggerate the colours you see in nature. Use vibrant greens, rich blues, or warm golden tones to capture the mood and energy of the scene. These bold colours not only add excitement but also help convey the emotional essence of the landscape.

How I Use Colour:
I often push my greens to be more vibrant and my blues to be richer, creating a heightened version of nature. This gives the landscape a more expressive quality, as though the colours are pulsing with life. By using bold colour choices, you bring an extra layer of emotion and energy to the painting.

5. Create Contrast Between Light and Shadow

In nature, light and shadow play a huge role in creating atmosphere and depth. To capture the energy of a landscape, exaggerate the contrast between light and shadow. Strong, bold shadows next to vibrant, sunlit areas create a dynamic visual impact and bring the landscape to life.

Penny’s Tip:
I like to lay down the shadowed areas first, using cool, dark colours like purples and blues. Then, I build up the light with warm, vibrant hues—yellows, oranges, or soft whites. This contrast creates a sense of drama and movement, especially in areas like hillsides or trees where light and shadow interact.

6. Suggest Movement in Water, Sky, and Trees

Landscapes are rarely static. Water flows, wind blows, and clouds drift across the sky. To capture this movement, use loose, gestural brushstrokes that suggest the flow of nature. Let the brushstrokes mimic the motion of the elements without trying to paint every detail.

How I Do It:
I use long, sweeping strokes for skies and water to suggest movement, and more jagged, quick strokes for trees or grasses blowing in the wind. These brushstrokes create a sense of fluidity and movement that brings the landscape to life.

7. Incorporate Texture Mediums for Added Depth

If you want to push the texture in your landscape even further, try using texture mediums. Adding gel medium, sand, or even modeling paste to your acrylics can create a rough, tactile surface that adds another layer of interest to the painting.

Penny’s Texture Medium Trick:
I sometimes mix a bit of coarse texture gel into my paint when I’m working on rocky cliffs or rough ground. This adds a physical dimension to the painting, making the landscape feel even more dynamic and alive.

8. Keep the Energy Flowing with Loose Brushwork

One of the biggest keys to capturing the energy of nature is to keep your brushwork loose and flowing. Avoid getting caught up in tiny details—instead, focus on the overall movement and mood of the landscape. Let your brushstrokes remain bold and expressive, conveying the feeling of the scene rather than every individual leaf or blade of grass.

Penny’s Loose Brushwork Tip:
I always remind myself to “paint fast and loose.” This keeps the painting feeling fresh and full of energy. The more I let go of control and let the paint and brushwork take over, the more natural and alive the landscape becomes.

Final Thoughts

Painting bold, expressive landscapes in acrylics is all about capturing the raw energy and movement of nature. By using loose brushstrokes, vibrant colours, and dynamic compositions, you can create landscapes that feel alive with motion and atmosphere. Let go of perfection, embrace the wildness of nature, and bring that energy to your canvas.

Until next time, Keep splashing colours!
Penny 😊🎨✨