Acrylic Landscape Painting – Three Planes & Light Shadow Demo

In this final landscape painting lesson for Section 3, we’ll review how to interpret planes and light directly from the masters. Using three classic plein air works, I will sketch quick studies that identify ground, vertical, and angled planes, then moves on to light vs. shadow mapping.

This two-step breakdown reinforces your understanding of form while keeping things simple — each sketch only takes a few minutes but reveals a lot about how master painters designed light and structure.

This lesson is part of the Acrylic Landscape Painting Fundamentals Course.

Plane Identification

I start with a Marion Wachtel landscape, marking out:

• Ground plane – lightest area, mostly horizontal.
• Angled planes – hills and distant mountains receding into atmosphere.
• Verticals – trees and upright masses anchoring the scene.

I add quick tonal notes (not value hierarchy) just to distinguish each plane type visually.

Moving to Rolling Hills

Next, I analyze a William Wendt piece — full of soft rolling shapes and layered forms.

• Every hill reads as an angled plane; there’s almost no truly flat ground.
• Vertical elements like trees clearly break the rhythm and catch bits of reflected sky light.
• Notice how Wendt simplifies distance using clean, organized shapes and limited contrast

This is a great reminder that simplicity often communicates form better than extra detail.

Applying Light & Shadow

Once the planes are mapped, I shift to light and shadow passes.

• Light-catching tree edges and hilltops guide the eye.
• Shadowed foregrounds push the viewer into depth.
• Backlit shapes create dramatic silhouettes and rhythm through

Rather than focusing on rendering, the exercise is about learning to see how light defines form.

Key Takeaways

• Simplify each subject into three planes before color.
• Observe how light direction affects plane value.
• Don’t over-model — clarity > detail.
• Practice with quick 3–5 minute sketches to train your eye.

Each pass adds another layer of understanding, preparing you for the more advanced lessons coming next.

Navigation

Previous Lesson: Three Planes & Light Shadow Assignment
Next Section: Section 4 – Atmospheric Perspective (coming soon)
Return to Hub: Free Acrylic Landscape Painting Course

This lesson concludes Section 3! Congrats on making it this far.

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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.