How to Draw Nature & Landscapes in Procreate

2026-06-25

A great landscape is built in layers — sky, distance, midground, foreground — each simpler than it looks once you have a workflow. This guide walks through painting nature and landscapes in Procreate: composition, blocking values, building depth, adding foliage and sky, and final color.

The landscape workflow at a glance

Composition — horizon and focal point.
Value blocking — big shapes, light to dark.
Depth planes — background, midground, foreground.
Atmospheric perspective — fade the distance.
Detail — foliage, rocks, sky.
Color & light — set the mood.

1. Composition and horizon

Decide your horizon line (eye level) and a focal point — a mountain, a tree, a path leading in. A low horizon emphasizes sky; a high one emphasizes land. Use the rule of thirds to place the focal point off-center. Thumbnail it small first.

2. Block the values

Before color, block the scene in greyscale or muted values — sky lightest, foreground darkest, midground between. Getting the value structure right is what makes a landscape read; color comes later. Use a soft round and a nature brush.

3. Separate into depth planes

Put background, midground and foreground on separate layers. This lets you adjust each plane's value and color independently — essential for depth. Overlap them so nearer elements partly hide farther ones.

4. Use atmospheric perspective

Distant things are lighter, cooler and lower in contrast because of the air between. This single principle creates believable depth — push the background toward the sky color. We cover it fully in atmospheric perspective.

5. Add the elements

Now build the scene with the right techniques for each part:

6. Color and light

Choose one light direction and time of day and commit. Warm light usually means cool shadows. Add a Color or Overlay layer for atmosphere, push the focal point's contrast, and unify with a final color grade. For painting and blending technique, see how to paint in Procreate.

Brushes and next steps

Paint landscapes with free brushes — foliage, grass and texture from the nature category, or the best free nature brushes. Concept artists building environments should also see brushes for concept art. New to iPad? Start with how to start drawing on iPad.

Frequently Asked Questions

Click a question to expand the answer

How do you draw a landscape in Procreate?

Set a horizon and focal point, block the scene in values (sky lightest, foreground darkest), separate it into background/midground/foreground layers, and fade the distance with atmospheric perspective. Then add trees, sky, water and grass, and finish with a single light direction and color grade.

What is the most important thing in a landscape painting?

Value structure and depth. Getting the big light-to-dark relationships right — sky lightest, foreground darkest — and fading distant elements lighter and cooler (atmospheric perspective) makes a landscape read convincingly before any detail or color is added.

How do I create depth in a landscape?

Use separate layers for background, midground and foreground, overlap them, and apply atmospheric perspective — make distant elements lighter, cooler and lower in contrast than nearer ones. Leading lines like paths or rivers drawing the eye inward also add depth.

What brushes do I need to paint nature in Procreate?

Foliage and grass scatter brushes for trees and ground, soft brushes for skies and blending, and texture brushes for rocks and bark. All are available free in the nature category, and a soft round plus a couple of nature brushes will cover most scenes.