How to Paint a Mountain Lake Sunset

In this tutorial, I’ll guide you through painting a mountain lake sunset, inspired by the stunning views of Lake Wanaka in New Zealand. This landscape features autumn trees, towering mountains, a calm lake, and the evening sun peeking through clouds.

Throughout this process, I’ll share tips on capturing autumn colors, creating realistic sunsets and clouds, and achieving harmonious color balance. This tutorial works well for both oil and acrylic paints.

Paint Colors

For this piece, I used oil paints in the following colors:

Titanium White

Burnt Sienna

Yellow Oxide (or Yellow Ochre)

Cadmium Yellow

Cadmium Orange

Quinacridone Crimson (or Alizarin Crimson)

Ultramarine Blue

Phthalo Green

Brushes Used

No. 5 Flat

No. 3 Flat

No. 2 Flat

No. 3 Filbert

No. 1 Round

No. 0 Round

Stage One – Blocking In

I painted this on a 10” x 12” linen panel, which is pre-stretched and oil-primed with a medium weave.

I started with a loose sketch using a No. 1 round brush, mixing Burnt Sienna with Liquin Original to thin the paint. Liquin also speeds up drying time, which is helpful for layering.

Paint Your Darks First

I always begin with the darkest values and shadows. Understanding value—how light or dark an area is—helps to create depth and atmosphere in the painting. Shadows and highlights are strongest in the foreground, while values soften as forms recede into the distance.

For distant mountains, I mixed Ultramarine Blue, Burnt Sienna (to dull the blue), Titanium White (to adjust value), and a touch of Quinacridone Crimson for a violet tint.

In the foreground bushes, I combined Ultramarine Blue with Yellow Oxide for the darker tones. For the rusty foliage of the Lombardy poplars, I used a mix of Yellow Oxide, Quinacridone Crimson, and Ultramarine Blue.

I established the tonal structure by blocking in the major areas: sky, lake, mountains, trees, grass, and rocks. Using similar colors throughout ensures color harmony and makes the painting feel unified.

Grass in the foreground was painted using Yellow Oxide, Quinacridone Crimson, Ultramarine Blue, and Titanium White—the same combination as the trees, but lighter in value. The mid-ground mountains used a similar mix but slightly darker.

Rocks and stones were painted with Ultramarine Blue, Burnt Sienna, Quinacridone Crimson, and Titanium White.

The sun and the orange glow in the clouds were achieved using Yellow Oxide, Quinacridone Crimson, and Titanium White. Initially, I added some Cadmium Yellow but later painted over it as it was too intense.

For the lake, reflecting the sky, I used a simple mix of Ultramarine Blue, Yellow Oxide, and Titanium White. The orange glow on the water was painted with the same mix as the clouds. After blocking in, I allowed the painting to dry before moving on.

Stage Two – Modeling and Adding Details

In this stage, I refined the shapes and added detail, keeping the same color palette from the blocking-in stage. I gradually built up lighter values to create dimension and depth.

I adjusted the foreground trees and grass to make them richer in value while maintaining the original color mix (Yellow Oxide, Quinacridone Crimson, Ultramarine Blue).

The glow in the clouds was enhanced, blending Titanium White and Yellow Oxide for the brightest highlights where the sun breaks through.

Green foliage on bushes and Lombardy poplars was painted using Ultramarine Blue, Yellow Oxide, Cadmium Yellow, Cadmium Orange, Titanium White, and sometimes a touch of Phthalo Green to vary the hue.

Flat brushes were mainly used for the trees and grass, while filbert brushes helped create the textured foliage marks.

Stage Three – Final Details

After allowing the painting to dry again, I added the final touches using the lightest values.

The brightest sunlight was layered with Titanium White and a small amount of Yellow Oxide. Highlights on the Lombardy poplars were added using Titanium White, Yellow Oxide, and a little Quinacridone Crimson.

I suggested the structure of main stems and branches using Ultramarine Blue, Burnt Sienna, and a touch of Titanium White.

Finally, I added small details to the grass and vegetation to complete the painting, enhancing realism and depth.

This method allows for a structured approach to painting sunsets, mountains, and autumn landscapes, while giving flexibility to create your own interpretation of Lake Wanaka’s stunning scenery.