Visual Movement Through Trees (Weekly Challenge #195)

This week we are heading to the pine forests of Putzbrunn, just outside Munich in southern Germany. Known for its serene woodlands and gentle trails, this rural area becomes quietly magical in winter. These scenes are perfect for practicing irregular rhythm, where repeating elements create flow, but also variety. The forest path, fallen logs, and sun peeking between trunks provide subtle focal points. As a result, a composition that breathes.

Focus Point: Irregular Rhythm

In art, rhythm refers to how visual elements repeat or flow, guiding the viewer through the composition. Irregular rhythm is more natural and less predictable — think of tree trunks spaced unevenly, or branches dancing in their own pattern.

In landscape painting, mastering irregular rhythm can:

• Create energy and movement

• Avoid stiffness or over-symmetry

• Lead the eye through layers of depth

• Build visual interest with contrast and balance

  
  

Want to dive deeper? Check out my previous posts on this topic:

• Rhythm in Landscape Composition – Creating Movement Through Repetition and Flow

• Irregular Visual Rhythm in Landscape Art: Creating Harmony Through Asymmetry

Analyzing This Week’s Reference Photos

Now, let’s look at the images in more detail.

Photo 1: Pine forest with snowy trail

A light-coated trail curves through a patch of pines and brush, while taller trees form a loose rhythm overhead. The spacing of trunks and the line of the path establish direction, even as the scene feels wild.

Week 195: Putzbrunn, Germany. Photo Credit: @painted_by_natalia

Challenge as a photo: The elements don’t follow a grid, it’s a chance to find balance without symmetry.

Focus Questions:

• How does the trail act as a natural rhythm-breaker?

• Where do verticals repeat most clearly?

• What creates contrast between near and far elements?

  
  

Tips:

• Soften some areas to contrast with tree rhythm

• Use the trail to interrupt repetition and guide the eye

• Vary tree spacing in your sketch to preserve natural flow

• Keep light and shadow subtle to maintain harmony

  
  

Photo 2: Vertical pines in dense forest

Straight, narrow trees line up tightly, forming a striking rhythm that’s not entirely uniform. The undergrowth is sparse, letting the tree spacing become the dominant feature.

Week 195: Putzbrunn, Germany. Photo Credit: @painted_by_natalia

Challenge as a photo: While the rhythm is clear, it still has variation. How can you keep it from feeling static?

Focus Questions:

• Where is the spacing more compressed or stretched?

• Are there shifts in light or trunk thickness to play with?

• Can you break the pattern intentionally?

  
  

Tips:

• Introduce slight angles or texture shifts to avoid monotony

• Fade background trees to create spatial layering

• Break one or two verticals to add visual tension

  
  

Photo 3: Going through deep trees

Inside a thicker forest section, the trees stretch deep into the distance. Ground textures like snow and fallen branches contrast with the verticals above.

Week 195: Putzbrunn, Germany. Photo Credit: @painted_by_natalia

Challenge as a photo: So much repetition could become flat. How can you bring life and subtle motion?

Focus Questions:

• How do diagonal shadows interrupt the vertical rhythm?

• What variation is visible in tree size or spacing?

• Could you use color temperature to emphasize depth?

Tips:

• Use warm-cool shifts to push space back

• Let light patterns ripple across the ground plane

• Avoid rendering every trunk — suggest some with tone

• Highlight one cluster as a rhythmic “beat”

Photo 4: Long forest path with sunlight burst

A long dirt path leads toward the horizon, framed by symmetrical-looking trunks, but closer inspection reveals natural irregularities. A beam of light crosses the trees in the distance.

Week 195: Putzbrunn, Germany. Photo Credit: @painted_by_natalia

Challenge as a photo: It looks symmetrical at first, but irregularities are everywhere. Can you use them to make a better painting?

Focus Questions:

• What rhythm does the path suggest?

• Where is the light creating emphasis?

• What breaks the symmetry subtly?

  
  

Tips:

• Emphasize the sunburst as the focal moment

• Let the path divide the composition gently

• Tilt some trunks or change angles for interest

• Play with the rhythm of shadows for movement

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Let this winter forest inspire you this week! Use its quiet complexity to practice irregular rhythm in your landscape painting.

Submit your work by 29 January 2026, tag @landscapeartclub, and use hashtag #landscapeartclub195 in order to be featured in our Instagram account.

If you're looking for more inspiration, check out the Winter, Forest, or Germany categories in the Reference Library to keep exploring!