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Designing and Composing the Landscape (Online Workshop) Winter 2026 w/ Trijsten Leach
February 5 to February 19 (Thursdays), 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM, Eastern Time
**All sessions are live and will be recorded, students do not have to be present. All recordings will be available to students for 3 months after the final session, after 3 months the recording will be deleted.
Please check your email spam/junk folder for your Zoom invite. Our business hours are 10:00 AM through 5:00 PM. All course information and email correspondence will be sent during business hours. If students purchase a course, workshop, demo or recording outside business hours or during the weekend the course information or recording will be sent the following business day.
DEMO: https://youtu.be/_E2YhrJmkag
Workshop Description
Every painting succeeds or fails because of a strong or weak composition. There is so much to consider while painting the landscape and studying good design and composition is an endless pursuit. In this workshop we will take an in depth look into what makes a painting successful as well as to identify some tips and tricks to help us establish a good design early on in the process.
During this three week workshop we will look at examples of how great artists throughout history composed their masterpieces. We will look at the elements and principles of design and we will apply our findings to our own work. I will be doing a demo each class to help drive home these principles.
Each lesson will be accompanied by a corresponding assignment and critique, to ensure everyone has the opportunity to practice the concepts being taught.
Workshop Outline
Week 1 - Composing Small and Often.
‘Principles of Design’ slideshow.
Thumbnail demos in grayscale and color utilizing the principles of design. Homework Assignment.
Week 2 - Enhancing Your Focal Point.
Review Homework Assignment. ‘Composing with the Masters’ slideshow. Demo on how to enhance the focal point using edges, value, color contrast and what to avoid. Homework Assignment.
Week 3 - Establishing a Clear Message.
Review Homework Assignment. ‘Masters of Mood and Emotion slideshow’.
This is where we pull everything we’ve learned together to convey a simple and clear message to the viewers. Landscape demo applying everything we have learned. Homework Assignment.
Workshop Materials List
Paint: (applicable for Gouache, Acrylic, Oil and Watercolor)
- Titanium White
- Cadmium Yellow Light
- Cadmium Red Light
- Ultramarine Blue
-Gamblin Portland Grays:
Light, Medium, and Dark
(Only available in oil paint) If you are painting with Acrylic or Gouache you can mix your own piles of light, medium and dark grays, or you can also get Prismacolor markers in a light, medium and dark gray.
Optional
- Phthalo Blue or green
- Alizarin Crimson
-Yellow Ochre
-Ivory Black
Brushes:
- Bristle brushes #6, #8, #10, #12 flats
- Small liner or script brush
- Palette knife
Surfaces:
-small panels, canvas or painting paper sizes: 4x6” - 11x14” (We will be dividing up our panel into thumbnails, I will likely use a 9x12” or 11x14”)
Misc. supplies:
- Easel/ paint box
-Pallet
-Odorless paint thinner- (Turpenoid or Gamsol)
-Brush cleaner bottle
-Paper towels
-Rubber Gloves
-Sketchbook
-Marker, Pen, or Pencil
February 5 to February 19 (Thursdays), 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM, Eastern Time
**All sessions are live and will be recorded, students do not have to be present. All recordings will be available to students for 3 months after the final session, after 3 months the recording will be deleted.
Please check your email spam/junk folder for your Zoom invite. Our business hours are 10:00 AM through 5:00 PM. All course information and email correspondence will be sent during business hours. If students purchase a course, workshop, demo or recording outside business hours or during the weekend the course information or recording will be sent the following business day.
DEMO: https://youtu.be/_E2YhrJmkag
Workshop Description
Every painting succeeds or fails because of a strong or weak composition. There is so much to consider while painting the landscape and studying good design and composition is an endless pursuit. In this workshop we will take an in depth look into what makes a painting successful as well as to identify some tips and tricks to help us establish a good design early on in the process.
During this three week workshop we will look at examples of how great artists throughout history composed their masterpieces. We will look at the elements and principles of design and we will apply our findings to our own work. I will be doing a demo each class to help drive home these principles.
Each lesson will be accompanied by a corresponding assignment and critique, to ensure everyone has the opportunity to practice the concepts being taught.
Workshop Outline
Week 1 - Composing Small and Often.
‘Principles of Design’ slideshow.
Thumbnail demos in grayscale and color utilizing the principles of design. Homework Assignment.
Week 2 - Enhancing Your Focal Point.
Review Homework Assignment. ‘Composing with the Masters’ slideshow. Demo on how to enhance the focal point using edges, value, color contrast and what to avoid. Homework Assignment.
Week 3 - Establishing a Clear Message.
Review Homework Assignment. ‘Masters of Mood and Emotion slideshow’.
This is where we pull everything we’ve learned together to convey a simple and clear message to the viewers. Landscape demo applying everything we have learned. Homework Assignment.
Workshop Materials List
Paint: (applicable for Gouache, Acrylic, Oil and Watercolor)
- Titanium White
- Cadmium Yellow Light
- Cadmium Red Light
- Ultramarine Blue
-Gamblin Portland Grays:
Light, Medium, and Dark
(Only available in oil paint) If you are painting with Acrylic or Gouache you can mix your own piles of light, medium and dark grays, or you can also get Prismacolor markers in a light, medium and dark gray.
Optional
- Phthalo Blue or green
- Alizarin Crimson
-Yellow Ochre
-Ivory Black
Brushes:
- Bristle brushes #6, #8, #10, #12 flats
- Small liner or script brush
- Palette knife
Surfaces:
-small panels, canvas or painting paper sizes: 4x6” - 11x14” (We will be dividing up our panel into thumbnails, I will likely use a 9x12” or 11x14”)
Misc. supplies:
- Easel/ paint box
-Pallet
-Odorless paint thinner- (Turpenoid or Gamsol)
-Brush cleaner bottle
-Paper towels
-Rubber Gloves
-Sketchbook
-Marker, Pen, or Pencil