Sunny Morning Country Landscape-Full Acrylic Painting Blog Tutorial

There’s something peaceful about an early summer morning in the country — the soft sunlight, wildflowers moving in the breeze, and old wooden fences stretching through rolling hills. This painting is meant to capture that calm, happy feeling and turn it into something beginners can actually paint without feeling overwhelmed.

The best part about this tutorial is that it looks detailed and impressive, but it’s built using very simple layers and easy brush strokes. So even if you’re brand new to acrylic painting, you can absolutely create this piece.

What You’ll Need:

Canvas:

16 x 20 stretched canvas

(Perfect beginner size because it gives enough room for details without feeling too tiny.)

Acrylic Paint Colors:

Titanium White

Cerulean Blue

Ultramarine Blue

Cadmium Yellow Medium

Cadmium Yellow Light

Warm Peach

Sap Green

Olive Green

Hooker’s Green

Burnt Sienna

Raw Umber

Lamp Black

Quinacridone Magenta

Brushes:

1/2" Flat Brush

Filbert Brush (Size 6)

Round Brush (Size 2 & 6)

Small Detail Brush (Size 1)

Before You Start

Acrylic paint dries quickly, which is both good and bad. It’s great because you can layer fast, but it also means blending has to happen fairly quickly.

Keep:

A cup of water nearby

A paper towel

A spray bottle if possible

(The spray bottle helps keep paint from drying too fast.)

Do not stress about making everything perfect. Nature is imperfect. The loose brush strokes actually make landscapes look more natural and beautiful.

Step 1 — Painting the Sky

Start with your 1/2" flat brush.

Mix:

Cerulean Blue + Titanium White

Paint the top portion of the canvas using horizontal strokes.

As you move downward:

Add more white

Lighten the blue gradually

Near the horizon:

Blend in soft warm peach and light yellow

This creates that soft glowing morning sunlight effect.

Beginner Tip:

Do NOT overblend the colors. Let some streaks and variation remain. That soft movement makes skies look alive.

Step 2 — Adding the Sun Glow

Before the sky fully dries:

Use Titanium White mixed with a tiny touch of yellow

Create a glowing circle near the horizon

Then lightly blend outward around it using gentle circular motions.

The secret here is softness. You want glow, not a hard white dot.

Step 3 — Distant Hills

Using your filbert brush:

Mix Olive Green + White + a tiny touch of blue

Paint soft rolling hills in the distance.

Keep these hills:

Light

Misty

Less detailed

Objects farther away should always appear softer and lighter.

This instantly creates depth.

Step 4 — Midground Hills

Now begin layering brighter greens.

Mix:

Sap Green

Yellow

Tiny touch of Burnt Sienna

Use loose curved strokes to create grassy hills.

Do not paint every blade of grass. Think in shapes and texture instead.

Leave little pockets of light where sunlight would naturally hit the hills.

Step 5 — The Tree

This tree helps frame the painting and adds balance.

Start with:

Raw Umber + Burnt Sienna

Paint the trunk and branches first.

Then use a round brush to dab leaves onto the tree.

Use multiple shades:

Sap Green

Olive Green

Yellow Green

Dark Green

Layering different greens makes the tree feel full and realistic.

Easy Leaf Trick:

Instead of brushing leaves, “tap” the brush onto the canvas.

That creates natural-looking texture instantly.

Step 6 — Wooden Fence

The fence is what gives this painting its cozy country feeling.

Using Raw Umber + Burnt Sienna:

Paint vertical fence posts first

Then add horizontal rails

Do not make them perfectly straight.

Slight imperfections make wood feel real and rustic.

Once dry:

Add highlights using lighter brown + white

Add shadows using darker brown underneath rails

This creates dimension and makes the fence pop forward.

Step 7 — Wildflowers & Field

This is the FUN part.

Using small round brushes:

Dot flowers throughout the grass

Use:

White

Yellow

Pink

Lavender

Vary the flower sizes.

Some should be tiny in the distance while others are larger in the foreground.

Add loose upward grass strokes around them using different greens.

The more variation you add, the more alive the field feels.

Step 8 — Final Details

Now step back and look at your painting.

Add:

Tiny birds in the sky

Extra sunlight highlights

Darker shadows where needed

A winding path if desired

This is where the painting really comes together.

Remember: Do not overwork it.

Sometimes the best thing you can do is stop before adding too much.

Final Thoughts

This painting is all about warmth, peace, and enjoying the process. Every brush stroke does not have to be perfect for the painting to turn out beautiful.

What matters most is the feeling behind it.

Acrylic painting becomes much easier when you stop trying to paint every tiny detail and instead focus on:

Light

Color

Texture

Mood

And honestly? Those little imperfections are what make handmade art feel special.