Landscape Practice Reel Assignment - Apply What You've Learned

Time to practice. No color. No gradations. Just masses. 5 images. 4 minutes each. Go.

This lesson is part of the Acrylic Landscape Painting Fundamentals Course - learn to paint expressive landscapes from scratch.

The Assignment

You're going to draw simplified masses from 5 different landscape images.

Each image gets 4 minutes. That's it.

Why so fast? Because you don't have time to overthink. You work intuitively, focusing on big shapes instead of getting lost in details.

The Rules

1. Contour only
Just the outline of your masses. No shading, no rendering.

2. Maximum 7 masses
Remember the 6-7 group rule? Apply it here. Don't go over 7.

3. Keep shapes interesting
Vary the sizes. Make them dynamic, not boring.

4. Combine shapes
See a group of trees? That's ONE mass, not individual trees.

5. No color or light/shadow
We'll add those later. Right now, just shapes.

6. Eliminate details
No branches. No grass blades. No clouds with perfect edges. Just big, simplified shapes.

What to Use

Any drawing medium works:

• Compressed charcoal (what I used)
• Regular charcoal
• Graphite pencil
• Marker
• Whatever you're comfortable with

Just make it easy to see your shapes.

The Timer Notification

15 seconds before each image changes, you'll hear a notification sound.

That's your warning: wrap it up.

If you need more time? Hit pause. Take as long as you need.

But the goal is to work fast. Force yourself to make quick decisions. That's where the learning happens.

Why This Works

Fast = No overthinking

When you only have 4 minutes, you can't agonize over every tree branch. You simplify instinctively.

Repetition = Skill building

5 images back-to-back means you're drilling this skill. By image 5, you'll be faster and more confident than image 1.

Timed pressure = Real improvement

This mimics plein air painting where light changes fast. You learn to see and capture quickly.

What You're Training

Your eye to see masses, not details

Most beginners see individual elements. You're learning to see unified groups.

Your hand to work quickly

No time for tight, fussy drawing. You're forced to loosen up.

Your brain to make decisions fast

Which shapes combine? Which stay separate? You decide in seconds, not minutes.

After the Assignment

Look at your 5 drawings side-by-side.

Ask yourself:

• Did I keep it under 7 masses?
• Are my shapes interesting or boring?
• Did I combine groups effectively?
• Did I work faster on images 4 and 5 than image 1?

Be honest. This is how you improve.

What's Next

After this assignment, you'll watch me do the same exercise.

See how I approach each image. Learn from my decisions. Compare your choices to mine.

Then you can repeat this assignment with different images anytime you want to sharpen your simplification skills.

The Big Picture

This exercise is fundamental to landscape painting.

If you can't simplify a scene into 6-7 clear masses in 4 minutes, you'll struggle when painting for hours.

Master this, and everything else gets easier.

Now hit play on that video and go for it!

Course Navigation

Next Lesson: Robert's Practice Reel Part 1 - Watch the instructor demonstration
Previous Lesson: Master's Analysis - Levitan Color Study - Adding color to studies

Course Hub: Acrylic Landscape Fundamentals

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Recommended Acrylic Painting Materials

• Princeton Catalyst Brushes – Flats (#6, #12), Rounds (#4, #8), Fan (#4), Liner Brush
  Durable synthetic bristles for versatile acrylic techniques
• Liquitex Heavy Body Acrylic Paint – Essential Colors
  Cadmium Yellow, Yellow Ochre, Alizarin Crimson, Cadmium Red Light, Ultramarine Blue, Cobalt Blue, Burnt Sienna, Titanium White
• Winsor & Newton Cotton Canvas
  Reliable stretched canvas for studio and plein air work
• Strathmore 400 Series Mixed Media Paper
  Heavyweight, acid-free paper for acrylic and mixed media
• Fabriano Artistico 140lb Cold Press Paper
  Excellent for acrylic, mixed media, and textured effects
• Blick Multi-Colored Painting Knife Set
  Variety of shapes for texture, scraping, and bold strokes
• Miscellaneous: Two pint-sized water containers, paper towels (from Home Depot or Walmart)
• Note: I use canvas or sturdy cardboard as my palette — no store-bought palettes needed.