I never thought I’d enjoy sketching landscapes until I realized they didn’t have to be perfect or even realistic. They just had to be observed. That switch changed everything. Now, when I’m out walking, camping, or even sitting at a café with a good view, I’ll pull out my sketchbook and capture the feel of the place—sometimes in 10 minutes, sometimes over a whole afternoon.
If you’ve been wanting to get into landscape sketching but feel overwhelmed by the complexity (trees! perspective! clouds that never stay still!), I totally get it. The key for me has been building a personal approach through small experiments. In this guide, I’ll share some of the most helpful landscape sketching ideas I’ve tried—ones that helped me loosen up, understand forms better, and enjoy the process.
A lot of my favorite landscape sketches aren’t the most technically accurate. They’re the ones that remind me how the air felt, how the light shifted, or how peaceful it was to sit in that place and draw for a while. If that resonates with you, I think you’ll get something out of these ideas.
Key Points
- Start with shapes and value—not details. Try squinting to simplify what you see.
- Work from life when possible, but don’t be afraid to sketch from memory or imagination.
- Use your landscape sketches to capture a mood, not just a scene.
Landscape Sketching Ideas That Build Confidence
These aren’t techniques so much as mindsets and approaches that have helped me stay curious while improving my skills. None of them require expensive materials or advanced training. All you need is a sketchbook, a pencil or pen, and a bit of patience with yourself.
Sketch the same view in different ways
One of my favorite exercises is picking a single spot—like a trailhead, coastline, or backyard view—and sketching it three ways:
- In 30 seconds (gesture sketch)
- In 5 minutes (light/shadow only)
- In 15+ minutes (more detail, texture, and layering)
This helps you understand what actually matters in the scene. It also keeps you from freezing up trying to get everything perfect. I’ve done this at lakesides, on hikes, and even while waiting for food at a picnic table. It forces me to get past overthinking and just respond to the scene.
Use thumbnail studies before committing to a full sketch
Before I start a larger drawing, I often do a few tiny thumbnail boxes (about 2 inches wide) to figure out the best composition. I block in the major shapes—dark hills, light sky, tree mass, road line. These analytical drawing studies make the final sketch way more intentional.
There have been times where I thought I had a great view, but after doing a few thumbnails, I realized a slight shift to the left gave the scene more balance. It takes five minutes and saves me from getting halfway through a page and feeling “meh” about the layout.
Draw from nature, then abstract it
Nature is messy. So are my drawings. One thing that’s helped is trying to sketch the “feel” of a landscape rather than copying it. I’ll exaggerate the shape of a hill, leave out distracting trees, or use bold marks to suggest motion in water or wind. That mindset is influenced by a lot of expressive drawing practice.
Try:
- Making a landscape with only angular marks
- Using a brush pen for bold shadow shapes
- Drawing in one continuous line without lifting your pen
I started doing this when I was camping and didn’t have much time or patience to draw every tree. Letting go of precision actually helped me enjoy the process a lot more—and the sketches felt more alive.
Use tone and value to build depth
Instead of outlining everything, I now focus on blocking in dark and light areas. That’s often enough to make a scene feel complete. I’ll squint at the landscape to see big blocks of value, then sketch only those shapes. If you want to explore this more, implied shapes are a great concept to study.
Sometimes I’ll sketch an entire landscape with just two values: light and dark. It feels like sculpting with shadow, and I get way less caught up in details. I’ve done this with a brush pen and even with a blunt pencil when I didn’t feel like sharpening it.
Go small and fast when overwhelmed
Sometimes I sit down to draw and the view feels way too big to tackle. When that happens, I just sketch one corner: a tree trunk, a slope, a single house. Other times, I’ll do a series of quick sketches—5 minutes each, no erasing. The goal is not accuracy, just capturing something.
You can even try non-dominant hand drawing to break perfectionist habits and stay loose. I did this once during a road trip, and it turned out to be one of the most freeing drawing sessions I’ve had in years.
Landscape prompts for sketchbook days
On days when I want to draw but don’t know where to start, I’ve used simple prompts like:
- A memory of a place you love
- A path or road from a recent walk
- Trees in silhouette at dusk
- A scene from your window at different times of day
I also like drawing imagined landscapes based on books I’m reading or music I’m listening to. It doesn’t always need to be real—it just needs to hold your attention. My sketchbook often mixes real views and made-up places side by side.
These help me use my sketchbook as a way to document life, not just practice technique.
Keep It Low Pressure
The more pressure I put on a sketch to be good, the worse it usually turns out. What’s helped me is:
- Using cheap sketchbooks so I don’t feel precious about the page
- Letting go of realism and focusing on mood or gesture
- Knowing that even “bad” sketches teach me something
Sometimes I’ll give myself permission to draw a total mess just to get going. Once that first messy sketch is out of the way, I feel more relaxed and usually end up enjoying the next few pages a lot more. If you're just getting started, I recommend checking out my nature journaling guide, which shares more about drawing outdoors and connecting observation to memory.
Tools I Use for Landscape Sketching
I keep things simple, usually carrying:
- 1 graphite pencil and sharpener
- 1 ink pen (waterproof if using watercolor)
- A mini watercolor set (or just a water brush and 3 colors)
- A folded paper towel and binder clip
- Occasionally gessoed paper or toned backgrounds
When I’m using watercolor, this tape is essential to keep the paper from warping. I’ve ruined a few pages from not taping things down early on—lesson learned.
I’ve also made DIY mini kits from mint tins and old travel palettes. As long as it’s light and easy to use on the go, it works.
What should I focus on when sketching a landscape?
Focus on the big shapes and values first. Don’t worry about trees looking like trees—capture the flow, direction, and rhythm of the scene. Details come later (or not at all). Sometimes I just squint hard and draw the blob shapes I see. It works.
Can I sketch landscapes from photos?
Absolutely. While drawing from life is helpful, using photos lets you study compositions and lighting more easily. Try turning the photo upside down to focus on shapes over subjects. I like doing photo studies when it’s rainy out or I want to revisit a place I’ve been.
How do I make a landscape sketch more interesting?
Use unexpected tools (like a twig or sponge), layer in expressive marks, or try drawing the same scene in different seasons or moods. Let go of accuracy and aim for feeling. I once drew a foggy hill with just a water brush and graphite smudges—it was loose, weird, and one of my favorites.
Do I need to use color in landscape sketches?
Not at all. I often sketch landscapes with just a pencil or pen. Value and composition are more important than color early on. That said, a few color washes can really bring it to life. I usually keep a travel palette with ultramarine blue, burnt sienna, and sap green—that combo handles almost anything.
How do I know when to stop a sketch?
When you feel like you’ve captured the essence of the place—whether it’s the light, the shape, or just the quiet moment—you can stop. More detail isn’t always better. If I keep fiddling, I risk overworking it. I try to trust my gut when a drawing feels “enough.”