Painting Distinctive Trees & Flora
Learn to paint realistic and believable landscape textures
- Painting believable trees, grasses and other flora
- How to paint in layers (and what that even means!)
- Realistic landscape colors and how to mix them
- Brushstroke techniques and blending
- Creating a landscape with dimension using form and depth
- Creating believable, balanced textures
- Knowing when to stop adding details - or when to add more
- Painting foreground and background details, and how the two differ
- Painting light and shadows
- The use of value, contrast, color temperature and chroma
If any of these sound familiar, then you're in the right place, my friend. Welcome!
▶ Sitting in my studio, painting with me. Being able to watch every brush stroke – seeing how every color is mixed.
▶ Imagine feeling more confident when YOU mix colors.
▶ Imagine seeing a clear path. Knowing how to start and the steps you'll take all the way through.
▶ Imagine learning better or new brush skills.
▶ Imagine seeing all of your layers build and watch YOUR OWN painting come alive.
▶ Imagine having a better understanding of both WHY and HOW to paint trees and flora.
▶ And finally, imagine trusting and enjoying the process.
I N T R O D U C I N G
Learn to paint realistic and believable landscape textures using a classic layering approach
Are you ready to learn to paint realistic trees, grasses and other flora so your paintings come alive with rich detail?
Do I hear a big "Yes!"?
I know that's easy to say, and sooo much harder to put into practice.
I know there can be a lot of questions and confusion on how to go about developing your skills. On what's the "right" way. (Hint, there is no one "right" way).
I also know, if you don't have a path forward, it's so easy to get frustrated and make missteps that slow you down. Or worse, make you give up before you've really gotten through the critical skill-building stage of your art journey.
Without guidance, it can take so long to make progress.
I get it. I really do.
I created my step-by-step course
Painting Distinctive Trees and Flora
for you.
I'm here to guide you, to help you paint your own trees and flora, in your own unique style, not just
finish one painting. (Although we
will finish one painting together.)
You'll get the benefit of what I've learned over more than 30 years, to help you take your landscapes to the next level.
Plus, this is your chance to get inside my head, to understand what I'm thinking about when I paint. Not just watch me paint.
And yes, while there are many ways to paint landscapes, this is the way I do it.
I'll show you how.
I can't wait for you to join me!
(If you're an acrylic painter, good news! While I paint in oils, yes you CAN also use acrylics in this course. See the FAQ section below for more information.)
Get started now!
"I just finished watching the whole course. Detailed and awesome. I can hardly wait to get started. I loved the whole course. I love how you mix and explain the warm / cool colors. Composition and using colors to the lead viewer into the painting to the 'main actor'. LOVE the process. I learned tons. Will learn more as I paint this. Thank you Layne so much for taking the time and effort to make such a great course!"
–Linda B., artist
"I love your style and I love landscapes, etc. I have been painting in acrylics for a few years and feel like I want to better my skills. I have been trying to transition to oils but it is a very different animal for someone that has only done acrylics. So many questions in oils that other tutorials don’t answer. Like using mediums correctly, drying and layering, fat over thin. They just assume you know. I love how you explain every little aspect assuming we know nothing. So important. You leave nothing out. I also like the fact that I can see your palette at all times. So important to see how you mix your colors in real time. You show and explain what you mix and the medium you add each time. I am only halfway through the course. I watch first then paint.
Bravo for an awesome learning experience."
– Andrew A., artist
Get started now!
I've dedicated more than 30 years to mastering painting; let me show you some great techniques that will save you time and frustration. ~ Layne
You may be wondering how an online course works
The painting sessions are structured as if you're right here in my studio with me. Every step of the way, I explain what we're doing, including everything I'm doing on my palette.
- When you enroll you'll get immediate access to all the online video lessons – no waiting for class to begin
- Then decide when and where you want to paint – this is a go-at-your-own-pace, on your own schedule course
- When you're ready, login to the student portal and follow each lesson – if you have questions along the way, post them in the student discussion section of each lesson
Tip: to get a feel for what you’ll be doing, you can watch the lessons first, then paint. You can also watch the lessons as many times and as often as you’d like.
No more missing what the instructor said or feeling like you've fallen behind!
"I have now taken one live workshop with you (clouds) and this online course. I liked the online best because I could paint with you, stop if I needed to restock my palette or take a break and then continue. Also it was nice to be able to go back and it was nice to stop with your painting in front of me so that I could see if I had similar results at that point and make any adjustments before I went too far.” —Sheila T., artist
Who is this course best for?
This course is perfect for any painter who wants to level up their landscape painting skills. It's also a great way to learn more about how to paint in layers.
It's important to me that any artist, no matter what your current skill level or stage, be able to learn something from this course. So I show you and tell you, what I'm doing every step of the way. My goal is to teach you techniques that you can use in your own paintings.
If you're a beginner, you'll learn some important painting techniques to accelerate your development as a painter. In fact, you can go through this course as many times as you want and you'll learn something new each time. (One caveat, if you've never picked up a paintbrush before, then this course probably isn't for you just yet.
If you're an advanced artist, you'll learn something to help you approach your work in a new or different way. I've always found watching other artists paint to be an enlightening experience.
As you develop your skills, you'll be able to go through this course again and again, and take away something new each time. On future paintings, if you're struggling with a particular stage of your painting or a specific technique, you can use this course as a resource.
No matter what your current level of experience is, this is your opportunity to become a more capable, confident painter.
But this course isn't for everyone.
If you're looking for the "magic" solution to painting better, that will take you from beginner to master in a few short weeks, then this course probably isn't for you.
If you're hoping that just watching me paint will magically improve YOUR painting skills, then this course probably isn't for you.
If you're looking for an "easy" button that won't require you to do the work to improve your skills, then this course probably isn't for you.
If you’ve never picked up a paint brush
before, then this course probably isn’t for you.
Let's face it, becoming a better artist, requires practice (lots of it), patience (lots of it), and time. If you aren't willing to put in the work, this course probably isn't for you.
Get started now!
"I decided to invest in this course because I’m a self taught oil painter, I started painting about three years ago. I fell in love with it but I find myself frustrated because I don’t know a lot of the fundamentals, which then I end up with a handful of half done paintings. I took this course to be shown from beginning to end what your process is. Thus far it’s helped me tremendously, there were a lot of steps that I was skipping with my other paintings that would have saved me frustrations. (I also was very impressed/grateful with how quickly you responded to me when I was having trouble with logging in!)
Can’t wait to keep going with this course! Thank you!"
– Talia A., artist
100% Risk Free
I'm pretty positive you are going to love this course. To put your mind completely at ease, though, this course comes with a 100% risk-free guarantee.
If you're unhappy with the course, ask for a refund within the first 30 days and we'll give you 100% of your money back.
Remember, getting better as a painter takes time, patience and most importantly, lots and lots of practice.
This course will help you get there.
"The new course is really good. Thank you for producing it for the rest of us. Since I have just begun painting I have really been interested in landscapes, especially Texas scenes. Your earlier course on clouds was very helpful, as I have bunches of photos of clouds that I want to incorporate into paintings.
Since I learned so much from the "Clouds" course, I was certain that the "Trees" course would be helpful, too. Also, I just like the way you teach. You are very informative as to how to achieve color and how to build up layers, which was so evident in the "Trees" course."
– Raymond C., artist
Get started now!
You might also be wondering...
How interactive is the course? Can I ask questions?
Yes! This course includes a student discussion forum where you can ask me questions about specific lessons. I normally answer within 24-48 hours. You’ll also be able to read answers to other students’ questions.
When does the course start and finish?
You'll have access to the complete course as soon as you enroll. No waiting! Since this is a completely self-paced online course - you decide when you start painting and when you finish. You can login 24x7x365 (forever!) and watch or rewatch any of the lessons - all at your own convenience and your own pace.
How long do I have access to the course?
After enrolling, you'll have unlimited lifetime access to this course. There's no deadline for finishing the course.
How long will the course take to complete?
It completely depends on you! I recommend you think of Painting Distinctive Trees & Flora like a college or atelier course and set aside 2-3 hours per week to go through the lessons. Most students can complete the course in 8-10 weeks. Some may go faster. Others might take longer to work their way through all the lessons. There's no rush and no right or wrong amount of time. The course works very well if you go at your own pace. And you get lifetime access when you enroll.
Remember, learning to paint, especially if you want to master your skills, doesn't happen overnight. It's a journey. You will be rewarded by the amount of time you put into it.
I’m an acrylic painter – can I take this course too?
Yes, if you're more comfortable working in acrylics, you can certainly use those instead since most of the concepts apply to both oils and acrylics. The biggest difference in this course is acrylics dry faster than oils, so you'll need to adjust your approach accordingly.
This course is also a great way to give oils a try since we'll go through each stage, step-by-step.
Do you talk about mixing colors?
Absolutely! Throughout the course I'll show you exactly what colors I'm using and how to mix them real-time, from beginning to end, as we paint. In fact, a second camera is dedicated to filming my palette and mixing colors. You'll see the specific colors, mediums, and the proportions I use to mix them.
Do you share how to paint the details, too?
Definitely. You'll be able to watch over my shoulder as I paint, just like you're in the studio with me. I zoom in frequently so you can see even more detail.
Do you really show everything? Or just the highlights?
I'll show you everything! Nothing happens off-camera. You'll see it all from the very beginning blank canvas all the way to the final details.
What kind of supplies will I need?
I'll provide you a complete list of recommended supplies, including paint colors, mediums and brushes. You can access a preview of the supplies you'll need in the Course Curriculum up above.
If you're working in acrylics, you’ll just need to adjust your supplies. The paint colors should be readily available in both oils and acrylics (or you can mix your own).
Can I download the content / videos?
All the PDFs are downloadable and printable. Videos are streamable, but not downloadable. But you'll have access to them forever!
I'm a teacher, can I get a completion certificate to submit to my school for continuing education credit?
Absolutely! Once you complete the course, contact us at [email protected] and we'll issue you a certificate of completion.
Get started now!
Meet Your Instructor
Hey there, I'm Layne Johnson.
I’ve been a painter most of my life.
After careers as a graphic designer, illustrator, and children's picture book artist, I returned to my roots in 2016 to focus on painting representational landscapes.
I believe anyone can learn to paint realistic paintings. But I understand how hard it is to figure that out on your own.
Sometimes, you need someone who’s been there before to show you the way. Which is why I created my online art school in 2018. To teach you the things I've learned over more than 30 years as a professional artist. Since then, I’ve helped more than 2000 painters from around the world improve their painting skills.
My goal is to save you time and frustration learning it all on your own, so you can enjoy your journey even more.
I invite you to join me {virtually} in my studio.
Come paint with me!
"I was pleasantly surprised at my own results in your ‘Painting Dramatic Clouds’ course. I didn’t expect I was able to paint what I did, so I am excited to see what results this class brings. I am mostly self-taught and realise I lack a lot of knowledge professional artists have. I decided to commit to learning more through online classes, since art school is not an option for me time-wise.
– Chantal B., artist
"I really enjoyed watching you mix the colors and watching how you used different brushes in different areas. I am new at painting and it seems getting right color mixed is one of my struggles."
– Dennis S., artist
Get started now!
"My biggest learning? I need to be patient, allow the layers to build while trusting my ability to look, really see and do it."
– Jane M., artist
"I have really enjoyed the step-by-step process with Layne... It felt like I was right there in the studio with him. So glad I have done this for myself!!"
– Helen B., artist
Still have questions?
Shoot us an email at [email protected]
We'll be happy to help
Note: Course prices are in USD and will automatically convert to your local currency at checkout.