Alpine Refuge

27 August 2026

Step-by-Step - Level ◆◆◆

Last week I hiked with some friends in Val Ferret on the Italian side of the Mont Blanc massif. An hour into the hike we stopped to take off our jackets and, when I looked around and saw all these little mountain huts, the cascading rivers and the huge mountains as a backdrop, I had to let them carry on without me. I could not pass up the chance to sketch in this spot.

Today I thoroughly enjoyed turning my sketch into a painting for you - keeping the loose, sketchy feel of the original.

In this lesson you'll see how to handle a high-contrast focal point, create depth across a layered mountain landscape, paint rocky peaks and glaciers, and build rich, textured foreground greens.

I'll share the original location sketch alongside the finished painting in our