Steve Huston on Sketching

One of my goals for 2023 is to do more drawing. This isn’t so much a challenge of motivation or drive but rather uninterrupted time. I’m critically short on that, perhaps more so now than ever. My solution has been to wake up around 4 am each morning and get some drawing in whilst everyone … Read more

New Reference Photos: Perth Beaches and Gardens

We are in Perth at the moment staying with a friend. I haven’t been able to do any painting, but I did take a few good reference photos. You can see them below. Feel free to download and paint from them as you wish. I’m eyeing off one of those rocky shore photos with the … Read more

2022 Wrap Up

2022 is over and now’s a great time to reflect on what went well, what went wrong, and what’s the plan going forward. I did this back in 2020 but missed 2021 (consistency isn’t my strength). What Went Well Here’s what went well during the year: What Didn’t Go Well 2023 Goals My goals haven’t … Read more

Noticing Beauty in the World

The other day, I opened my Landscape Painting Masterclass for enrollment. This isn’t just about learning how to see and capture the beauty of the landscape. It’s also about learning how to see the beauty in everything. Most people go through life naive to the beauty around them. But, once you learn how to see … Read more

A Small Study and a Lesson on Reflected Light

Below is a small painting I did of Elora and Chontele in my parents’ garden. This was only meant to be a relaxed study done in preparation for a larger piece, but it turned out to be quite charming in its own right. (That’s often the case with studies like this: the less I worry … Read more

Lesson 4: Self-Reflection

Welcome to the final lesson of the Painting the Landscape workshop. In the last lesson, I showed you how my painting turned out. I’ll title it, Maleny, White, Purple, and Blue Flowers. Now it’s time to reflect on my work. Whenever I finish a painting, I briefly reflect on how it turned out, what went … Read more

Lesson 3: Painting and Technique

Welcome to lesson 3 of the Painting the Landscape workshop. As a recap, in lesson 1, I chose a reference photo to paint. In lesson 2, I analyzed that reference photo and came up with a strategy to paint it. Now, it’s time to paint! Painting the subject is all about bringing your ideas to … Read more

Lesson 2: Planning and Strategy

Welcome to lesson 2 of the Painting the Landscape workshop. In lesson 1, I chose a reference photo to paint. Now it’s time for the planning and strategy phase. This phase will allow you to start the painting with direction, momentum, and a plan of attack. It will also make the painting process smoother, you’ll … Read more

Hilda Rix Nicholas: Australian Artist With a Distinct, Illustrative Style

Some time ago, I emailed about an artist named Henry Hensche for his stunning use of color. In response, one of my readers suggested I check out the work of an Australian artist, Hilda Rix Nicholas. I wasn’t familiar with the name, but turns out I was captivated by one of her paintings when I visited the New South … Read more

Lesson 1: The Idea and Reference Photo

Welcome to lesson 1 of the Painting the Landscape workshop. Glad to have you on board! Before I get into it, I’ll recap what to expect from this workshop. The idea of this workshop is to give you practical insight into the landscape painting process. I’ll walk you through the creation of my most recent … Read more