Adding Color to a Three Step Value Study

Cottages at Twilight

5x6" oil 

This is the final version of the three step value exercise 

and also my 'Nocturne" painting for Girls Just Wanna Paint. 

I included the grayscale version as well. 

If you're having trouble with values and who doesn't, try this. 

50 Shades of Grey

"Grey Garlic" 6x6 

oil on panel
SOLD

Well, not really, but values are incremental and we can only create about 3 to 5 discernible values to depict light in our paintings. I mixed up a large amount of dark 'grey' with Cad Red, Ultramarine Blue and Cad Yellow. It leaned a bit toward brown but when I added white it was a blue gray. I blocked in the garlic using burnt umber and then using three values of my grey I painted in the values. After I got my pattern down I went over it with some color. By the way, I must be the only one in the world who hasn't read that book. I did order it from the library but this is one you have to buy, the wait list is that long!!

my palette

Garlic Demo

Garlic Study Demo
6x6 oil on gesso board

I am loving my Monday class with Beth and Linda. They are getting the all important value lessons and most importantly they are having fun ;)

Gray is the Way

I'm in value boot camp and nothing is as it really seems when it comes to lights, darks, reflected light and local color. The whites can't be too white or there's no room for the highlight. So what color would 'read' white, but not be straight from the tube white? 

Grays. Green gray, violet gray, orange gray ad infinitum. You can mix endless beautiful grays. I'd like to say that I finished this but I wiped it because I veered off the path and created mud. 

It happens.

"Lonely" 6x6 oil on gesso board

More Pig Love

 

 

 
In preparation for the value lesson I will be teaching my students tomorrow, I did a step by step demo beginning with a value block in in burnt umber. I inadvertently created a tangent but this can easily be remedied. Another good lesson ;)

Step by Step Marsh and River Demo

Using my new viewfinder I lightly grid my canvas and sketch in the larger masses.

 It takes me three strokes in the sky to get the value correct. 
The sky and the water are the lightest values.

The light on the distant marsh is lighter than it seems

The grass is a middle value and I've lightened 
the far tree line to push it back

The final touches

The painting in grayscale

Thanks for all the emails about the Painting Safari!
Tomorrow looks like it will be clear so meet me in the Rexhame Beach parking lot at 9:30 for an out door demo and painting session.Fee is $15 per class and we will paint until 12:30.