hadees sketchbook

[PabloNotPicasso]

Hannes, so from what you've got up, first thing I recommend is paying attention to your edges. How soft or sharp an edge is will generate contrast and draw attention, as well as indicate form. And just crank out more studies, but keep them under an hour, and pay attention as to how to create the impression of an element without needing to draw it all out. So on your photo study of the tree and hills, don't paint out every leaf, indicate the clumps of leafs and put in shadow and light where necessary so that the viewer's eye gets the idea that "yep, that's a mass of leaves". In real life, when we look at an object, we don't observe every minute detail, especially not if the object is at a distance. Our eyes process just enough information to categorize that object for what it is. That's how people like Feng Zhu can make a tree in four seconds, because he knows how to indicate "this is a tree" without taking the time to render everything out. Anyway, you're off to a good start, just keep practicing from studies, and don't forget to apply what you learn in your own pieces.