In the center of the page, a large swan swims comfortably across the pond. Its long neck is curved elegantly as it looks ahead across the water. Floating on the surface of the pond are several round lily pads, providing nice shapes to fill with color. Along the edge of the water, you will find clusters of tall cattails and thin reeds growing out of the grass. These plants add a lot of texture to the foreground of the image.

Further back, the land rises into soft, rolling hills that create a peaceful horizon. A few fluffy trees stand on the distant hills, giving the whole scene a sense of depth and space. Every element, from the blades of grass to the ripples in the water, invites you to use a variety of natural colors to bring the landscape to life.

While many people think of a swan as being bright white, you can use very light shades of blue or soft gray to add shadows to its feathers. This makes the bird look more three-dimensional on the page. For the pond, try mixing different shades of blue and teal to show the movement of the water around the swan.

The lily pads look great in a vibrant leaf green, while the cattails can be colored in a rich chocolate brown. You might even want to use a bright yellow or orange for the swan's beak to make it pop against the other colors. The hills in the distance can be colored in a softer, lighter green than the grass in the front to show that they are far away in the distance.