Keswick, Lake District, UK

Many of you have asked me how I handle those difficult, low light days when painting outdoors. This painting of Keswick in the Lake District is a great example of how to make a winter scene feel alive despite the grey weather. The trick is to keep your paper wet and work quickly. I wanted to show the quiet feeling of the hills, so I focused on the contrast between the dark, earthy slopes and the pale, misty sky.

To create that feeling of winter, I used a mix of burnt umber and neutral tint for the hills to get a deep, moody brown. It is important not to overmix your colours on the palette because you want those bits of blue and brown to show through on the paper. For the green fields, I used a blend of viridian green and a touch of yellow ochre. This keeps the grass looking a bit tired and cold rather than bright and summery, which helps set the right mood for the scene.

I often get questions about how to paint winter trees without making them look like messy sticks. I think the secret is to use a smaller brush and not worry about every single branch. I suggest painting the trees with a mixture of burnt sienna and cobalt blue. This gives you a nice dark grey colour that looks natural against the winter hills. By letting the paint bleed into the background, the trees sit back in the distance and help create depth in your painting.