Peopling Your Landscapes

As much as I love rocks and islands, paintings of them can be rather mundane.  There are several ways to liven up such a barren scene.

First, color.  Accurately painting gray and brown rocks can sometimes kill any enthusiasm for the literal results.  Splashing in a hint of pink or turquoise or a pathway of moss covered rocks can give interest to an ordinary scene.

Second, light.  Connecting the light shapes will not only help guide the viewer's eyes, but provide a mood.

Third, consider putting some figures in your landscape.  That will immediately draw the eye and give actual life to the scene.  The tiny man-made object in the distance, the schooner, also suggests human presence, without taking over the main theme of granite and limestone rocks.

(And don't make the heads too large or round!)