Today I'm going to show you how to layer texture to create a mountainous scene. I recently visited the Rocky Mountains in Colorado, and their beauty is striking! They make for amazing watercolor subjects - but they are not easy to paint. The elements that take your breath away - their incredible size, detail, and texture - all add difficulty as you attempt to paint them.

But the same 3-step process I use with any subject can help guide you as you paint mountains in watercolor. So follow along as I paint this Colorado landscape. 

How to Paint Rocky Mountains in Watercolor

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What Supplies Do I Need to Paint this Landscape?

I am painting on Saunders Waterford Cold Press 140lb paper and  have my surface tilted to 35 degrees.

I use a variety of brands of brushes, but I mainly stick to a large mop, medium round and smaller synthetic brush with a point.

Here are the list of pigments on my palette:

• Burnt Sienna
• Cadmium Red
• Cadmium Yellow Medium
• Cerulean Blue
• Cobalt Blue
• Cobalt Teal Blue
• Cobalt Turquoise
• Lavender
• Neutral Tint
• Payne's Gray
• Quinacridone Gold
• Raw Sienna
• Raw Sienna Light
• Raw Umber
• Rose Madder Permanent
• Ultramarine Blue

What Are the Three Steps to Painting a Mountain in Watercolor?

First Step - Lightest Values

Second Step - Find Connections

Third Step - Darks and Details

Follow Along and Paint Your Own Mountain Scene

I make these videos for you not only to watch and pick up tips for your next scene, but so that you can practice alongside me. Feel free to take some time with this video - pause when you need to pause and watch as many times as you need to - and learn first-hand how to paint mountains in watercolor. I hope you come out with something you really like - or at least learn a thing or two along the way.

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