Introduction to Digital Landscape Art

If you love drawing and nature, digital landscape art is a great way to bring those interests together. You can create your own digital landscape art using an iPad and the Procreate app. Scott Leggo’s photos are perfect for this because they show some of the most beautiful landscapes in Australia.

Step 1: Choose Your Landscape Photo

First, look through Scott Leggo’s collection of country landscape photographs online. Choose a photograph from Scott Leggo’s Country Collection of photographs, that really catches your eye. It might be a sunset, mountains, or a quiet field. The colours and shapes in these photos make them perfect for starting your digital landscape art project.

Step 2: Screenshot Your Chosen Photo

Once you’ve picked your photo, take a screenshot of it on your iPad. Make sure the screenshot is clear. This screenshot will be the base for your digital landscape art.

Step 3: Setting Up Your Digital Canvas

Open Procreate on your iPad and import the screenshot you took by tapping ‘photo’ top right and choosing your photo. Here’s how you set up everything for digital landscape art:

1. Open Procreate and tap the ‘+’ sign to start a new canvas.
2. Import your screenshot: Tap on the photo icon, select ‘Import’ and choose your screenshot from the Photos app.
3. Create layers:
   • Your screenshot will automatically be on the first layer.
   • To add a new layer for drawing, look for the layers icon at the top right (it looks like two overlapping squares). Tap on it to open the Layers Panel.
   • Tap the ‘+’ sign in the Layers Panel to add a new layer. This will be your second layer for the outline drawing.
   • Add another layer by tapping the ‘+’ sign again for your digital painting. This will be your third layer.
4. Rename each layer for easy identification:
   • Tap on the layer’s name in the Layers Panel. It will be highlighted.
   • Type ‘Photo’ for the first layer, ‘Outline’ for the second layer, and ‘Painting’ for the third layer. Tap ‘Done’ to save each name.

Step 4: Start Drawing

On the ‘Outline’ layer, use your Apple Pencil to trace the main shapes you see in the photo. This layer is for your drawing. You don’t have to make it perfect; just get the main parts of the landscape.

Step 5: Add Colours and Textures

Now, switch to the ‘Painting’ layer. This is where you add colours and textures to your digital landscape art. Choose brushes in Procreate that let you mimic the real textures in the photo—like fluffy clouds or rough mountain surfaces.

Step 6: Finishing Your Artwork

Before you finish, make sure to hide the original photo layer. Just uncheck the box next to the ‘Photo’ layer in the Layers Panel. Now, all you’ll see is your own digital landscape art. If everything looks good, save your artwork. You can share it with your class or even online. Show everyone how you can turn a photo into a beautiful piece of digital art!

Conclusion: Why Learn Digital Landscape Art?

Learning digital landscape art is not just fun; it also helps you pay attention to the details of the world around you. Using Scott Leggo’s photos helps you understand how to look at colours and shapes in nature, and how to turn what you see into your own art. Each time you create a new piece, you get better at noticing the beauty of landscapes, which is a wonderful skill to have.

This project is a perfect way to use technology to explore nature and art together. So, why not start your own digital landscape art today?