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My Results – Value Hierarchy Practice Reel

Five fast value studies, four minutes each. Here’s what I learned about simplifying shapes and keeping clear value hierarchy in acrylic landscape painting.

Robert Joyner | Garage Studio Artist & Art Educator

Robert Joyner | Garage Studio Artist & Art Educator

— 3 min read
Value Hierarchy Practice Reel - hero image

Here are my results from the Value Hierarchy Practice Reel.
Five images, four minutes each, and one big takeaway — quick studies like this remind you just how much you can say with simple shapes and clear values.

Each scene had a different challenge, from wide open skies to crowded tree lines, and I tried to stay focused on the main goal — keep it simple, stay loose, and make quick, confident value decisions.

Study 1 – Aerial Perspective

The first scene had great aerial perspective and some subtle elevation changes.
I started with my darkest darks — mainly the rock shapes and trees in the midground — and connected those into one solid shape. From there, I kept stepping back in space with slightly lighter values.

The sky was pretty plain, so I left it simple, just enough contrast to separate it from the land.
Nothing fancy — just learning to recognize how the land breaks into clear layers of light and dark.

Five quick black-and-white acrylic landscape value studies showing simplified shapes and strong tonal design by Robert Joyner.

Study 2 – Simple Country Road

This one had a nice, basic composition — a road leading in with a few tree shapes.
I began, as usual, with the darkest darks on the tree, then built up from there.
The trick was to avoid over-modeling the light planes and to keep the relationships close in value.

The road was lighter, but not too light — I wanted the main tree to stay dominant.
In four minutes, you can’t overthink it, which is the beauty of this kind of study.

Study 3 – Quiet Field with Tree

A simple layout — one strong shape for the tree, one big field, and a little background structure.
I started with the sky first this time, just to shake things up.
I kept the ground slightly lighter and added a dark band for the distant field to balance the composition.

The key was holding those seven values — pushing a little darker under the tree to anchor it, but not letting those darks spread everywhere.

Study 4 – Distant Hills and Tree Line

This one came together quickly. The overlapping hills gave a great chance to practice value compression — making distant shapes just slightly lighter and softer.

I started with the sky, then worked down through the middle hills, pushing a bit more light into the near ground.
You can see how each layer steps forward just a touch in value — that’s the backbone of landscape depth.

Study 5 – Country Road with Poles

The final one was a low, quiet design with a few poles leading the eye back.
I kept the sky very light, the road just a touch darker, and made the tree shapes the anchors again.
The value pattern of the poles and shadows helped balance the composition.

It’s not about getting everything “right” — it’s about reacting fast and learning to group your values before the clock runs out.

Course Navigation

Next Lesson: Light & Planes in Landscape Painting
Previous Lesson: Value Hierarchy Assignment Reel
Return to Hub: Acrylic Landscape Painting Fundamentals

Final Thoughts

These quick value studies are powerful little exercises.
They force you to see the big design, not the details, and to decide what really matters in a painting. If your values are clear, your painting will hold together no matter what colors you use later.

Try this assignment for yourself and see how much you can learn in just twenty minutes of focused practice.

Learn & Improve Your Acrylic Skills

Affiliate Disclosure: Some links are affiliates, and I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend materials I use regularly, often from Blick Art Materials. Your support keeps my tutorials free and ad-free—thank you!

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