Desert cactus

10 September 2026

Video - Level ◆◆◆

Lots of lovely light and texture in this scene! We paint some desert cactuses in late afternoon light, with the sun catching the plants and the mountains.

Apart from the golden light, the rest of the scene is all muted colours. I'm going to show you how to mix those and how to paint all the scrubby bushes in the foreground with minimal fuss.

We paint the main scene on the right in this lesson, and if you paint it in your sketchbook like I've done, then you can complete the sketchbook spread with other vignettes of your choice. My finished sketchbook spread is here for you to see, if you'd like to take inspiration from mine.

Happy painting!