The Power of Tone in Landscape Painting: Lessons from John F. Carlson

Tone is one of the most essential, yet often overlooked, elements in landscape painting. It’s not just about light or dark, but about the relationships between values (see below for term explanation) —how one area of tone interacts with another to create form, mood, and unity. For painters aiming to capture the depth and atmosphere of a landscape, tone is the foundation upon which everything leans upon.

One of the most lasting voices on this subject is John F. Carlson. His book, Carlson’s Guide to Landscape Painting, remains a cornerstone text for myself and many landscape painters. Carlson’s insights into tonal structure are not only technically helpful—they also give artists a way to see and interpret the landscape more profoundly.

What Is Tone?

In painting, tone refers to the relative lightness or darkness of a colour. It’s different from hue (the colour itself) or saturation (the intensity of the colour). Tone is what gives a painting depth, structure, and a sense of space. Without a thoughtful tonal structure, a painting can easily become flat or chaotic.

Carlson emphasized that value (tone) is even more important than colour when it comes to creating the illusion of light and atmosphere.

“The most important characteristic of a painting is its tonal structure,” Carlson wrote. “Colour can be muddy or intense, warm or cool, but if the tone is wrong, the picture falls apart.”

Carlson’s Four-Value Plan

One of Carlson’s most influential contributions to landscape painting is his Four-Value Plan, a simple framework for organising tone in a landscape. According to Carlson, the typical landscape can be divided into four main tonal zones:

1. Sky– usually the lightest value.

2. Ground Plane – slightly darker than the sky.

3. Slanted Planes (hillsides or rooftops) – typically a bit darker still.

4. Upright Planes(trees, walls, cliffs) – the darkest.

This doesn’t mean that every landscape must follow this plan strictly, but it provides a solid structure for simplifying the complexities of nature. Carlson believed that if you could arrange your painting according to this tonal logic, you would automatically achieve a more harmonious and convincing composition.

Images above: Left: Carlson’s book. Right: Carlson’s Four-value plan

Tone and Mood

Tone doesn’t just describe form—it also sets the emotional temperature of the painting. A high-key composition (with mostly light tones) can feel airy, delicate, or optimistic, while a low-key painting (dominated by dark tones) might suggest mystery, introspection, or drama. But please remember, even in the darkest of landscapes and broody skies, the sky is often the lightest tone.

Carlson encouraged artists to use tone deliberately to express the mood of a scene, not just to copy what they see. The tonal decisions you make are a form of artistic interpretation.

Tonal Unity

Another key point Carlson makes is that tonal unity is more important than detail. Many people often focus on leaves, blades of grass, or ripples on water. But if the tonal relationships aren’t working, no amount of detail will fix the painting.

You can test this yourself by squinting at a landscape—or at your painting. Squinting helps you eliminate details and better perceive the big tonal shapes. If your painting holds together tonally when squinted at, it's likely working well.

Images above: Left image: Carlson’s 4 value plan. Right image: Tonal image

Putting It into Practice

To strengthen your use of tone:

* Start your painting with a monochrome underpainting or value study.

* Squint to find the big tonal masses.

* Use Carlson’s Four-Value Plan as a guide.

* Think about the emotional quality of light in your scene.

* Constantly compare tones, asking: “Is this area lighter or darker than that one?”

Tone is what gives a landscape its sense of light, space, and cohesion. As Carlson so clearly explained, getting tone right can elevate your painting from a simple image to a true expression of place and feeling.

Yours in art,

Rebecca

Value and Tone explanation:
Value: Lightness/darkness of a colour. Technical term -Black has a lower value than grey
Tone: Overall arrangement or effect of values. Artistic term -A painting might have a sombre tone using mostly dark values

The Power of Tone in Landscape Painting: Lessons from John F. Carlson

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