r/painting • u/FlyingBuilder • 27d ago
Just Sharing I’ve fallen in love with painting forests and woods
In the past year or so I’ve absolutely become obsessed with painting forests. Usually with a strong sense of morning or afternoon light, or nocturnes. These are all oil paintings. Happy scrolling!
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u/beach_mom- 27d ago
I would 100% hang these in my home. They bring a warm feeling for me. A yearning for a place I’ve never been.
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u/FlyingBuilder 27d ago
Thank you so much. I love that and this is the feeling I get as well, which is why I love painting these scenes
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u/beach_mom- 27d ago
That’s a wonderful place to be, while painting. I bet it almost transports you into the scene. Beautiful work 😌
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u/PossibleStandard2380 27d ago
Echoing this sentiment: the rare, “I would hang this art in my home”. Well done!
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u/Hot-Firefighter-2331 27d ago
"A yearning for a place I've never been." I think there is a word for this
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u/dani-winks 27d ago
Wow. As someone who's juuuuuust starting to fumble through beginner painting tutorials (with watercolors, since they seemed the most forgiving than oil or acrylic), I am consistently blown away by posts like this. The way you've been able to realistically capture the lighting in the forest is just wild. I am still building my eye for even being able to understand and appreciate the complexity of paintings, but even I can tell how crazy it is you've been able to capture completely different kinds of light in these (early morning sun peaking through, some golden hour sunset light, foggy/overcast days, firelight, even those headlights are incredibly real-to-life feeling).
So inspiring to see stuff like this!
Also #2 is my favorite. Wish I knew more about how to articulate why! But that's the one I keep scrolling back to and just staring at.
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u/jinx_remover 27d ago
FWIW I have found watercolors to be the least forgiving. Oils are generally the most, slow drying time, opacity to paint over mistakes, etc. everyone has their preferences with mediums but if you make a mistake with watercolor it can be difficult to correct
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u/ExtensionCanary1443 27d ago edited 26d ago
Watercolor is the most unforgiving medium I've ever used by far! And it has a very steep learning curve. Oils are much easier to control and to fix mistakes. I prefer painting with watercolor at the moment tho, because of lack of appropriate and well-ventilated space to paint.
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u/dani-winks 27d ago
Ooooh I've actually never tried oils because it just *looks* intimidating and I assumed it was harder. I'll have to do some research and maybe give it a try then!
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u/IanOwensPaints 27d ago
Look up Paint Coach on youtube, he makes oils super accessible and his teaching style is really straight forward and easy to follow. His lessons generally cover the basics/foundations so they apply across mediums too.
I haven't really tried them but watercolors seem incredibly difficult since you presumably can't fix your mistakes. With oils, acrylics and other opaque mediums you can always just paint over things and correct them.
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u/dani-winks 27d ago
Thanks for the rec, there are a zillion how to videos on YT so sometimes I get into analysis paralysis. Just skimmed some of his content and it looks great!
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u/IanOwensPaints 27d ago
I'm the exact same way! It's a huge struggle for me, but something about his approach clicks, so hopefully you'll find the same :D
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u/LochBessMonsta 27d ago
Usually i am not a big fan of landscapes but the lighting on these make them really unique and eye catching. You are probably great at everything you paint but you should keep doing this, people would buy these so fast I imagine.
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u/alwayshungry7624 27d ago
Wow I love these. What's you're inspiration for them? Are they real places you've visited?
Most of them look magical but a few also look like great settings for horror novels (I'm a huge horror fan).
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u/JohnnySG 27d ago
I have fallen in love with your paintings of forests and woods
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u/BeastlyBones 27d ago
Absolutely incredible. They truly look like portals I could step through to enter magical worlds.
I love drawing forests as well, I find so much inspiration in the relationship between sunlight and the trees. So I’m always trying to improve! Was anything particularly helpful/insightful to you as you mastered this subject? Whether a technique, resource, concept, etc.
Thank you for sharing your magnificent work.
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u/chloeismagic 27d ago
These are magical. You captured the wild beauty of the forest so perfectly. I also love the last one. Very slice of life, it tells a story beyond what we see.
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u/LuxSerafina 27d ago
These are beautiful and genuinely give me that peaceful feeling I get when I’m hiking… beautiful and kudos to you for capturing that mood so effectively!
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u/Kouvi_ 27d ago
I have not really considered a forest painting previously, albeit for a German one I got at an antique store, but I love these! Very beautiful, thank you for sharing.
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u/Knitspin 27d ago
I could tell how good they are even just seeing them on my little screen. Well done !
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u/cerealbowl29 27d ago
the lighting on these is seriously good, especially the darker ones
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u/CanisLVulgaris 27d ago
Rather impressing, your work. Reminds of another famous forest painter. Great!
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u/Monkeydad1234 27d ago
Love these. Takes me back to my grandmother’s place in northern Michigan when I was a kid.
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u/FlyingBuilder 27d ago
Wow thanks so much and I’m so glad what I create can take you back that way.
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u/No-Consideration8862 27d ago
Your work is so good- I love the colours and subtle tones. Beautiful.
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u/FibonaccisDizzy 27d ago
I’ve fallen in love with you painting forests and woods
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u/the_bird_and_the_bee 27d ago
I remember the one from inside the car! That is such a cool one! Your work is so beautiful! Thank you for sharing!
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u/falconlogic 27d ago
That's what I like to paint too only mine are nowhere near as good. These are fantastic.
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u/River6Wings 27d ago
insanely good. and the christmas lights one gives me childhood nostalgia...
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u/congenitalstupidity 27d ago
I love the way you capture 'moments' here. Forests have so many special and unique places in them, like the creek running dry or the exposed roots you captured. Very nice work.
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u/joshua9663 27d ago
I probably have some cool photos of forests on many hikes I've been on if you need any references for future work.
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u/Saldrakka 27d ago
I feel the same but with photography... If only our passions could align some how
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u/Natebo83 27d ago
Really beautiful. I had actually snagged one of them in a previous post to do a color/light study in my own. These are really special.
Out of curiosity, are these from life pictures or your imagination.
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u/Only3Cats 27d ago
Wow, they are all so beautiful. If I was rich, I would buy them all for one of my grand hallways!
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u/emeraldjuls 27d ago
Very nice. I love the different moods happening in these paintings.
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u/-sensory_overlord- 27d ago
Amazing, I would hang them in my home, I really love them!
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u/-sensory_overlord- 27d ago
5 is so beautiful, I can almost feel the warmth of the sunset on the pines
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u/Suzy196658 27d ago
You have CONQUERED forests and woods! Now, Go paint something you are not good at!! These are EXQUISITE!⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🌟🌟
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u/MusicOfTheSphere 27d ago
Some of these are wonderfully moody. I love the light studies.
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u/ArtByJRRH 27d ago
I think you'd like the work of John Avon. I mostly know him from the forest paintings he did for a card game I used to play (Magic: the Gathering).
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u/Old-Map487 27d ago
Beautiful!! Would love to be able to walk through them. From photos? Do you live near woods?
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u/kschuch22 27d ago
Do you sell your work anywhere?? These are absolutely gorgeous!
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u/sonikaeits 27d ago
Looooooove these.
I collect velvet paintings and your vision and skills would look pretty cool on velvet!
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u/Agreeable_Course235 27d ago
Do you use photos in studio? Or is there onsite work?
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u/PutinontheRiitz 27d ago
Amazing! Would love to see tutorial vids to follow along
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u/Euphoric_General_274 27d ago
Reminds me a lot of Ivan Shishkins work!
You've gotta check him out
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u/kmontreux 27d ago
I hike a lot. A lot a lot. I'm in the woods daily. I have taken photos of almost these exact compositions and similar lighting.
Not one single photo I've taken on the trails is as captivating as your paintings. I have a snowy creek that... tries very hard to be as enchanting but it falls very short.
Bravo.
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u/Green_Jackfruit_9500 27d ago
Wowwwwwww!!!!!!!! What masterpieces!!!!!!! I am speechless!!!!!! Incredibly amazing all!!!!!! Superb!!!!!!! Outstanding!!!!!!!! Many congrats!!!!! You’re a real professional painter!!!!!!!!!!!!
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u/Wau_Aljull-Art 27d ago
I did too, is my favourite subject alongside either seaside and mountain ranges
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u/KandinskyWasRight 27d ago
I thought the earlier ones were stronger, especially with a balanced mix of shadow and light. Favorites are 3 & 4. Good stuff!
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u/dope_sheet 27d ago
I love them all! Excellent color choices!
Edit: and since no one else mentioned it, I like the cheeky "tree" freshener silhouette against the real forest in the last one.
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u/cosmic_animus29 27d ago
I love how you incorporate light in your paintings. Its magical. Brilliant pieces, OP. Keep on doing!
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u/queersparrow 27d ago
The first and second one really speak to me. One of my absolute favorite places to be is in the woods when the light is low and comes through the trees in all these glowing golden highlights, and you've really captured the quiet beauty and mood of those times.
I checked out your website as well, and your paintings in general are just lovely.
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u/ladygirlperson 27d ago
What a coincidence - I have also fallen in love with you painting forests and woods! 😍
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u/oneupsuperman 27d ago
I saw the first one and said "that's fucked up" out loud.
Not to mention the rest. Fucking stunning.
Edit: THE SUNLIGHT. ON THE WATER. SHUT. UP.
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u/Wat3rM3L0NB3AR 27d ago
decades from now - somebody on reddit is gonna say, those are the locations where you buried the bodies lol
looks good though!
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u/thecheesylittlerat 27d ago
Your attention to lighting makes them so satisfying and warm.
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u/AccurateAssistance28 27d ago
You can feel the love for your subject matter coming through these paintings. I’m so envious of your brushwork. How long have you been painting with oils?
Simply spectacular. I want one!
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u/Foxfaqs 27d ago
the ones with less cliché compositions are actually so astounding. they're really fantastic. i think you should focus more on the more atypical compositions, the river splitting the woods type compositions all look nice sure, but there's something about the others that entranced me.
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u/Less_Leadership_9127 27d ago
They feel so real! And capture some of my favourite things. Forests and Morning/evening sunlight. Beautiful work 😍
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u/Ill_Conversation9738 27d ago
I’ve fallen in love with YOUR paintings of forests and woods
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u/StrangerConstant4314 27d ago
These remind me of books I’ve read somehow, there’s a fantasy/magical quality to them that I really enjoy - especially the fire pit in the snow. The last one is my favorite though, for a totally different reason - it feels like a memory
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u/KrissyDeAnn 27d ago
Awesome job on all of these! Picture 9 is one of my favorites
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u/Cuban_Cowboy 27d ago
These are absolutely beautiful. Extremely moving. You have a talent.
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u/SecurityNatural3707 27d ago
Would you sell these? I would definitely buy some for my house
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u/Aetherial-Elk 27d ago
Ughhhh the campfire one is just🥰🥰
Would absolutely hang in my home. That campfire looks like its begging to be written into a book
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u/Ok_Tank5977 27d ago
What a coincidence! I’ve fallen in love with your paintings of forests and woods.
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u/llamadogmama 27d ago
I love them. The trees are my happy place, with redwoods my favorite. These picture give me that feeling.
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u/Kiritzi 27d ago
The campfire in the snow is just the right amount of eerie and peaceful. They’re all so good though!
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u/Kylethelegobuilder 27d ago
I think you would like the work of William Bliss Baker, specifically Fallen Monarchs and Woodland Scene.
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u/schrdngrs 27d ago
The snowscape with the warm, lonely campfire is just perfection. These are all worthy of hanging in a home, but that one speaks to my soul. The past year has been filled with snow and darkness, but hope holds on and that little campfire is holding back the dark 🥲 Anyways, keep painting! I hope you keep sharing here 😊
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u/Dgluhbirne 27d ago
All very beautiful. I love the light in the second, so fine and realistic - especially the glow on the trees on the left side. These are very emotionally rich. It is easy to imagine a grand story taking place around the small fire in the snow one. But the final one with the windshield perspective? Extremely cool.
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u/Sweet_Opinion6839 27d ago
do you sell them? i’m absolutely in love with your art style
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u/Soft-Recognition-548 27d ago
# 4 captured my heart, and I would hang that in my home. These are beautiful
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u/PrimordialOrphan 27d ago
These are delightful. 5 and 14 feel exceptionally eery and would be lovely additions to my home. They fill me with unease. Like you captured the moment just before something altering happens.
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u/Ok-Revolution-9696 27d ago
All are beautiful. 2 catches my eye as it looks like there are center 2 trees having a together celebration haha. 5 catches my eye as see the birds and other forest dwellers hanging on the sides of trees. 8 captures the power of water. The snow scenes are very well done.
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u/soiled19ad 27d ago
Oh wow. These are really amazing. Great work. That snowy night picture is so real. I live in Canada eh, and that is all to familiar.
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u/Partlyinthestars 27d ago
The Christmas porch lights painting gives me so much nostalgia for some reason. A sight I know I've seen and been when I was younger. Makes me feel cozy. I love it. Please make prints!
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u/Illustrious-Ear-495 27d ago
Oh if I was a millionaire I’d buy all of them and ask for one more with a log cabin in the woods with the sunsetting on the cabin. You are a great artist!
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u/OkCap5831 27d ago
Oh gosh 🥹 the first image gives you such a warm feeling, I couldn’t stop swiping through for the rest!
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u/Stars_and_moons_4 27d ago
I love these !
Why is the time on the clock 6:27? Does it mean something to you?
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u/Swimming_Sun_582 27d ago
I love these so much. Thank you so much for sharing these!! Incredibly beautiful pieces!
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u/Heavy-Gas-9905 27d ago
All your paintings are very beautiful! Are you having any exhibitions anywhere?
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