Feeling unsure how to paint beautiful mountains in watercolor? Julia Lis Art has you covered!
In this tutorial, Julia Lis Art walks you through four easy and fun techniques that will help you create stunning mountain scenes—even if you’re just starting out.
She uses simple tools and explains each step clearly so you can follow along with confidence.So grab your brush, and let’s paint mountains together!
Contents
Technique 1: Layered Mountain Technique
Let’s start with one of the easiest mountain painting techniques the artist uses—and also one of the most versatile.
The artist calls it the layered mountain technique, and enjoys painting this way because it gives such a soft, dreamy effect.
The artist begins by choosing just one color. For this demo, the artist uses blue. Any color can be used. The idea here is to use only one pigment or one paint tray and change how intense the color is with water.
- For the first layer, the artist waters down the pigment a lot.
- The artist paints several different mountain peaks. The shapes should vary to keep the scene interesting.
Once the first layer dries completely, the artist moves on to the second layer. The same color is used but with a bit more pigment this time. The artist carefully paints over the first layer but ensures not to cover all the peaks.
The artist repeats this process two more times for three or four layers. A stronger pigment is used each time and new peaks are painted, always leaving parts of the previous layers showing.
This makes the mountains look like they’re fading into the background.
One crucial tip: let each layer dry completely. If the paint is still wet, the colors will bleed, and those crisp, clean mountain edges won’t appear.
Technique 2: Triangle Mountain with Shadow
This second technique is just as simple as the first one, but it gives the mountain more depth and realism.
The artist likes using this method when aiming to show light and shadow in a clear, straightforward way.
The artist begins by sketching a triangle with a pencil. A few small peaks are added coming off the sides to make it feel more natural. A plain triangle looks too flat, so these extra shapes help it feel like a real mountain.
Next, the artist fills the entire shape with a watered-down version of the chosen color. For this example, the artist goes with pink, but any color works.
Once that layer is completely dry, the artist paints over a zigzag line that was drawn earlier. This line runs unevenly from the top of the mountain downward and then tapers off to the left.
That tapering makes it look like the mountain is leveling off near the bottom.
Then, the artist fills in half of the mountain (on one side of the zigzag) using a more pigmented version of the same color.
This creates a beautiful shadow effect—almost like the sun is rising or setting and casting light on one side while the other side sits in shade.
And that’s it!
Technique 3: Combination of Layering and Wet-on-Wet
Now, it’s time to mix things up a bit. This third technique blends layering and the wet-on-wet method.
The artist finds this one super fun because it gives the mountain a dramatic, jagged look, like the rugged peaks in Hawaii.
The artist starts with the layering technique. The artist picks a very watered-down purple and paints a rough triangle shape.
The artist places it a bit off to the right so that when the second mountain is painted, it will overlap part of this one.
After the first layer dries, the artist paints a second mountain on top. This one uses much more pigment, so it pops against the background. It covers about half of the first triangle.
Then, the artist switches gears to the wet-on-wet part. With the same dark purple, the artist draws a jagged line downward from the top of the peak. But here’s the key difference:
The artist does not let this layer dry. Since it’s still wet, the pigment spreads naturally,
Add a jagged line
The artist also brings some of those jagged lines onto the lighter side, where the sun would be hitting. This keeps the whole shape feeling connected and balanced.
The artist can even go over the background mountain if desired, but chooses to leave it light and straightforward.
This mix of techniques makes the mountain stand out—and it’s a great way to add mood and texture without too much effort.
Technique 4: Triangle Mountain with Inner Triangles
Let’s finish with the artist’s favorite technique. This one creates a mountain of depth by adding smaller triangles inside the main triangle shape.
It looks complex, but relatively simple once it’s broken down.
The artist begins by lightly sketching the mountain shape to have a guide. This can be drawn in pencil or freehand if the artist feels confident.
Then, the artist uses a muted green-gray color and waters it down well. The artist fills in the entire triangle shape with this light wash.
Next, the artist switches to a more pigmented version of the same color. The artist draws a jagged line coming down from the top, just like before—but this time, that line branches off into several inner triangles. These shapes create the illusion of many ridges inside the mountain.
Once that layer dries, the artist goes back in with even more pigment and darkens some of those triangles to make them stand out more.
This helps each shape look sharper and adds more contrast, as if the light hits different surfaces.
To boost realism, the artist also:
- Add jagged edges going down both sides of the mountain, not just one side.
- Paint some shadows starting from the bottom of the mountain and reaching toward the middle.
- Include a few small shapes between the edges, which gives extra detail and makes the mountain feel more rugged.
This final mountain captures the look of light, shadow, and texture all in one scene.
In A Nutshell
Painting watercolor mountains doesn’t have to feel tricky or overwhelming. With just a few simple shapes and layering techniques, the artist can create beautiful, realistic scenes full of depth and light.
Which method will the viewer try first? Pick a favorite, practice the steps, and enjoy watching the mountain landscapes come to life—one layer, line, and shadow at a time.