I keep detail under control by asking whether it supports the painting’s main focus. In this example, the light house needs attention, so the tree, vegetation, and surrounding buildings have to leave room for it.
Simplify the tree
The branches offer plenty of opportunities for detail, but putting them all in would compete with the house. I explain that I simplified the tree considerably from the photograph. The useful question is whether another branch adds to the story or takes attention away. Finding that point comes through painting, looking, and trying again.
Use texture to suggest vegetation
In the foreground, physical paint provides much of the interest. I use that texture as a substitute for describing every small plant. The area can feel rich without requiring the viewer to examine a separate detail in every part of it. That distinction matters: a painting can contain lively surfaces and still remain simple in its larger statement.
Protect the main focus
The value of the house already draws the eye, and I support it by reducing detail elsewhere and letting a background building become quieter. I would apply the same question to other subjects: what deserves attention, and what can be simplified? When you watch the video, compare the amount of description around the house with the suggestion in the surrounding growth.
For a related lesson, see saying more with less.
