Room with a View

Okay, this has nothing to do with values again. Well, actually EVERY painting has quite a bit to do with values. And since I can't get a photo to illustrate a big mistake we can make in doing landscapes, lets just look at this one, titled "Room with a View" and see how the value structure works. Let's try this one in color for a change.
If you squint your eyes, it's easier to see the major values of this landscape. Sky, lightest value.
Pine trees and beaver lodge (also functions as an upright form) are the darkest. Disregarding the water, because it is composed mainly of reflections of either the dark trees or the light sky, look at the flat grassy areas. They are the next lightest area, as they should be. They give their full surface to the light of the sky. The receding hills are the medium dark, and they get lighter as they get further away. This is part of atmospheric perspective, and that's a topic for another day. All in all, I think this landscape, though it has many elements, stays within the boundaries of our four major value groups, so I will call it a success. That's a real scene, by the way, and there actually is a beaver lodge there. Location, location, location!