Master studies done for online class

So I've signed up for an online painting class, Noah Bradley's Art Camp.  It starts in a month or so, but I looked at the amount of work it is and mentally cried (just kidding Noah if he reads this) then regrouped then started working.  Regardless, I'm glad this is getting me to do these crucial steps I should've put myself through long ago.  If I'm not slain by the workload, I'm going to try to do most of the final pieces in either oils, acrylics (most likely), or watercolours.

I miss these!  Master's Studies.  For the layman, master studies are where you 'study' a work that you really love, preferably ones that are universally accepted as being strong artistically.  These are just tonals obviously but I've gotta do 50 of them!  I'm definitely spending too much time on each, but turns out I really love doing this.  You really do learn a lot.

Some of the things I've realized from doing a mere 8.

• There's very simple tons in most of them.  Some are fairly complex here, but overall, they really focus in on the centers of interest.  The simpler they are, the more attention you get to spend on those crucial sweet spots with strong lights and darks.
• This is a great way to learn about composition - set dressing a scene with enough interesting elements as to please the eye.
• No form shall go uninterrupted! I've been reading a fair bit about this - that is, that there should never be an perfect, straight form in a painting.  You should always break the symmetry, I feel like it keeps it more natural, and down to earth, because it's so rare that one shape won't be intersected by others (whether it's fine detail or not).  I hope this make sense
• Drama.  Always drama.  Go for the drama.  There's so many technically strong pieces in our modern day (especially with the introduction of digital painting) but they just don't have the same emotion and storytelling as many of these older pieces.  
• N. C. Wyeth is one of my new favourite artists (this whole page is Wyeth).

As I'm learning, any tips others have to get faster at this would be great, because this is the main problem I see ahead.  Too much detail that doesn't need to be there as well.  These are just meant to be quick little tonal thumbnails.  If I don't pick up the pace when I get to the 50 colour thumbnails I'll be slugging along. Hoping to get faster!  Loving it though.