Diagonal Energy in Madeira’s Landscapes (Weekly Challenge #169)
- Natalia C.
- May 23
- 4 min read
This week, we travel to the volcanic wonderland of Madeira, a Portuguese island in the Atlantic known for its stunning natural variety. From jagged peaks to tranquil pools and wave-carved rocks, Madeira’s dynamic terrain is a dream for artists looking to push their sense of composition and movement.
Our co-host this week is @srsigdesigns — a joyful multi-media artist exploring watercolor, digital, and more. Sam shares her creative journey on Instagram and YouTube and is an active, encouraging voice in our community. We’re thrilled to have her co-host this week’s challenge!
The references this time feature natural pools framed by volcanic stone and dramatic views along the PR1 Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo trail, Madeira’s most iconic hike. This 7-mile mountain route connects the island’s highest peaks and showcases intense ridgelines and dramatic diagonal compositions—perfect for our focus on dynamic design.
Focus Point: Dynamic Composition
Our artistic focus this week is dynamic composition — with special emphasis on diagonal lines.
Diagonals create movement, tension, and a sense of flow. Unlike horizontal or vertical lines, which tend to feel stable and calm, diagonals introduce energy, often guiding the eye into or across the scene.
In these references, you’ll find strong diagonals in cliffs, stone ridges, and shoreline lines. Your job as an artist is to decide how to use these diagonals intentionally:
Should they lead toward the focal point or across it?
Do you want to create drama or direct attention subtly?
Can you use them to build a layered sense of space?
To deepen your understanding, revisit our full theory post:
Analyzing This Week’s Reference Photos
Now let’s dive into the reference photos and explore how each one invites you to play with visual flow and storytelling.
Photo 1: Rocky Cliffs Above Turquoise Water
This bold coastal scene is full of dynamic diagonals. The rock formations zigzag toward the horizon, carving the coastline into rhythmic shapes. There’s a lot of motion here — and it’s your job to shape that into a visual path.
Challenge as a photo: So much texture and light contrast can become overwhelming without a clear focal direction.
Focus Questions:
Can the eye follow the cliffs without getting lost?
Where does light play most strongly across planes?
Tips:
Use diagonal layering of rock masses to suggest depth.
Cool down distant tones to push the horizon back.
Let wave patterns echo the angles of the land.
Photo 2: Volcanic Pool in Shadowed Cove
This quieter composition is an exercise in contrast — flat horizontal water vs. angled stone forms. The top-right to lower-left rock face carves a clean diagonal across the frame, while the transparent water invites softness and subtlety.
Challenge as a photo: The light is diffuse and shapes are complex. You’ll need to simplify forms without losing structure.
Focus Questions:
Where is the strongest geometric line in the rock?
Can color temperature separate foreground from background?
Tips:
Emphasize value blocks to define planes.
Use reflected light in the water to soften transitions.
Introduce directional texture to shape the rocks.
Photo 3: Pico do Arieiro Ridgeline
A breathtaking view with immense depth and crisscrossing diagonals. The foreground plunges steeply into a misty background, where cloud-filled valleys and jagged peaks recede in cool gradients.
Challenge as a photo: The composition risks flattening if you don’t control atmospheric perspective.
Focus Questions:
Are your diagonals helping to carve out space?
Will strong shadows clarify or clutter the scene?
Tips:
Use value and temperature layering to build space.
Keep foreground crisp and cool.
Let far ridges dissolve into soft transitions.
Photo 4: Sunset Over Pico Ruivo
A warm-toned masterpiece of light and shape. The ridgeline angles up and down across the frame, creating subtle but powerful movement through the composition. Shadow shapes echo one another, giving rhythm to the terrain.
Challenge as a photo: Balancing the warm glow with darker foregrounds can be tricky — too much contrast flattens it.
Focus Questions:
Where does light naturally rest — and how do you support it?
Can you exaggerate the slope shapes to enhance rhythm?
Tips:
Paint light first, then layer shadow diagonals carefully.
Use soft sky transitions to push down against the warm land.
Let foreground rocks guide the viewer into the depth.
Let’s bring energy into our paintings this week! Whether you lean into sharp diagonals or subtle slope lines, the goal is to build movement and visual flow into your scene.
We can’t wait to see what you create with these references from Madeira. Post your artwork by Thursday, 29 May 2025, 23:59 CET, using the hashtag #landscapeartclub169 and tag @landscapeartclub.
Hi-res versions of the reference photos are available in the forum. And if you’re feeling inspired, check the Mountain section of our Reference Library for more compositions full of powerful angles and rhythm.
Happy painting!
Is there a way for me to format this post so that I can print it and refer to it without being on my phone? Thanks so much! These images are breathtaking and will be very challenging for me.