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Landscape Composition Assignment

Apply everything you’ve learned about design and composition. Study master painters, explore new subjects, and practice creating your own landscape designs.

Robert Joyner | Garage Studio Artist & Art Educator

Robert Joyner | Garage Studio Artist & Art Educator

— 3 min read
Landscape Composition Assignment hero image

This final assignment ties together everything we’ve covered about design and composition. You’ll apply what you’ve learned by studying master paintings and exploring the world around you to find and design strong compositions of your own.

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

Part One: Study the Masters

Your first task is to visit a museum, gallery, or art book and spend some time observing landscape paintings.

Look closely and ask yourself:

  • What composition type did they use? (L-shape, S-curve, diagonal, or Fulcrum design?)
  • Do you see a path or leading line pulling you into the scene?
  • How are large, medium, and small shapes arranged?
  • Is the design symmetrical or asymmetrical?
  • How do light and dark masses balance each other?

Studying these ideas in finished works helps you internalize good design instincts. The more you look, the more you’ll start to feel what works.

Part Two: Explore and Observe

Now take what you learned and apply it to real life. Go for a walk through your neighborhood, the city, or a local park.

If you can’t get outside, pick a region you love — maybe the coast of Maine or the mountains out west — and browse reference photos online.

As you look, ask yourself how you could compose a painting in your head using the ideas from this section:

  • Could you crop part of the scene for a stronger asymmetrical design?
  • Would it help to move or remove an object for better balance?
  • Is there a natural path, river, or diagonal that leads the eye in?

This mental exercise sharpens your eye for composition before you ever touch a brush.

Part Three: Design Adjustments

When you find a scene you like, practice adjusting it:

  • Add elements that improve rhythm or flow.
  • Remove clutter that distracts from your main idea.
  • Crop sections to simplify the design.

Remember, you’re not copying reality — you’re composing it.
The more confident you become in rearranging your subject, the more personal and intentional your art will feel.

Why This Exercise Matters

This assignment helps train your visual instincts. By combining observation with design awareness, you’ll start recognizing what makes a scene paintable.

When it’s time to create, you’ll already have a mental blueprint for how your values, shapes, and direction should work together — so the painting process flows naturally.

Key Takeaways

  1. Study master landscape compositions for inspiration.
  2. Observe real-world scenes and imagine design possibilities.
  3. Use cropping, asymmetry, and simplification to improve compositions.
  4. Move, add, or remove elements to strengthen flow and balance.
  5. The goal is to think like a designer — not just a painter.

Course Navigation

Previous Lesson: Master Painters and Composition in Landscape Painting
Visit the Acrylic Landscape Painting Hub - view all lessons.

THE END! This is the FINAL lesson in the course! Congrats if you made it this far!!!

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