Value Paintings
If I’m having trouble with color in a painting it’s usually not the color that’s the problem, it’s the values, the dark, light and halftone relationships. The hues can always vary but the values have to represent what the light is doing in the painting. So a good exercise is to use a palette of white, Ivory black (or an ivory black and ultramarine blue mixture or indigo blue), yellow ochre and Indian red. This limited palette forces you to think in term of values instead of color because you don’t have enough color choices to worry about. When we work with a large color palette it becomes harder to find those subtle value changes that define form and depth so a very limited color palette helps you to focus on values, especially those subtle value changes.
Color Harmony in Landscapes
Too often we lose color harmony in landscapes because we insist on painting the local color of grass, mountains or trees instead of mixing a color that suggests the light. Local color has nothing to do with color temperature. These preconceived ideas about color can really hamper an artists progress. Thinking in terms of how the light effects value and color give us a more accurate view and better harmony. The local color really doesn’t have anything to do with it.
In this painting by Walter Sickert the first thing you notice is the suggestion of light and shadow in the painting not the local color of objects. It becomes secondary.
Notable Quotes To Share
I want to share these two thoughts on beauty with you:
“There is nothing ugly; I never saw an ugly thing in my life: for let the form of an object be what it may, light, shade, and perspective will always make it beautiful.” (John Constable)
“Beauty is not democratic; she reveals herself more to the few than to the many.” (C.S. Lewis)
Painting and Teaching in Sheridan, Wyoming
I recently taught a workshop in Sheridan Wy, which is a small town nestled against the Big Horn Mountains. Here the class is spreading out to paint on Goose Creek Road. One of the problems is trying to pick a view; there is so much to paint there.Sheridan is full of history, ranches and beautiful landscape. The Big Horns aren’t as dramatic as the Rockies to the west but they have a subtle beauty to them that I find more interesting. The mountains are more rounded and have rocky outcroppings that pull your eyes over the shapes.
There are also layers of valleys and streams with huge cottonwoods and winding
dirt roads. One of the problems is getting permission to travel and paint on private land but everyone was very accommodating and happy to have us there. A lot of the mountain roads were pretty rough. I made a mistake of driving to Sheridan in a car to save gas money and ended up blowing out a couple of tires.
The students were well prepared, they had no problem with the roads, heat and bugs, no one wimped out half way through the day.
There was some complaining about the amount of green we had to paint but that’s plein air painting in June. It makes you appreciate winter colors. I do hope to return and do some more painting and teaching there, maybe in the fall and winter. It’s a very friendly, paintable place.
This 10×10 demo was near Goose Creek Road, the spring flowers were in abundance and helped cut some of the green. I wanted to demonstrate that you can focus on the values and temperature and push the color any direction you want.
This photo is a good example of the cloud shadows that floated by every day. They helped break up the mountains and introduce different colors.
Painting and Teaching in Sheridan, Wyoming
I recently taught a workshop in Sheridan Wy, which is a small town nestled against the Big Horn Mountains. Here the class is spreading out to paint on Goose Creek Road. One of the problems is trying to pick a view; there is so much to paint there.Sheridan is full of history, ranches and beautiful landscape. The Big Horns aren’t as dramatic as the Rockies to the west but they have a subtle beauty to them that I find more interesting. The mountains are more rounded and have rocky outcroppings that pull your eyes over the shapes.
There are also layers of valleys and streams with huge cottonwoods and winding
dirt roads. One of the problems is getting permission to travel and paint on private land but everyone was very accommodating and happy to have us there. A lot of the mountain roads were pretty rough. I made a mistake of driving to Sheridan in a car to save gas money and ended up blowing out a couple of tires.
The students were well prepared, they had no problem with the roads, heat and bugs, no one wimped out half way through the day.
There was some complaining about the amount of green we had to paint but that’s plein air painting in June. It makes you appreciate winter colors. I do hope to return and do some more painting and teaching there, maybe in the fall and winter. It’s a very friendly, paintable place.
This 10×10 demo was near Goose Creek Road, the spring flowers were in abundance and helped cut some of the green. I wanted to demonstrate that you can focus on the values and temperature and push the color any direction you want.
This photo is a good example of the cloud shadows that floated by every day. They helped break up the mountains and introduce different colors.
Unprimed Hardboard Masonite Boards
If you like painting on a toned board, a good surface is a masonite, or hardboard panel, without any gesso or primer. The boards have a nice warm tone to them and I find it easier to judge values on a darker surface. They do need to be sealed so I use a clear shellac, sprayed or brushed on. I use this for smaller boards, 10 x 12 and smaller. The surface gets too slick with larger boards.
Home improvement stores carry these boards and they will cut them for you. I do recommend the spray shellac, it’s easier and less messy. I apply 3 coats of shellac about 10 minutes drying time between each coat.
Unprimed Hardboard Masonite Boards
If you like painting on a toned board, a good surface is a masonite, or hardboard panel, without any gesso or primer. The boards have a nice warm tone to them and I find it easier to judge values on a darker surface. They do need to be sealed so I use a clear shellac, sprayed or brushed on. I use this for smaller boards, 10 x 12 and smaller. The surface gets too slick with larger boards.
Home improvement stores carry these boards and they will cut them for you. I do recommend the spray shellac, it’s easier and less messy. I apply 3 coats of shellac about 10 minutes drying time between each coat.
Online Still Life Workshop Coming Up Soon
I’ve got an online workshop coming up on July 15 through the Tucson Art Academy Online.
WEEK 1 | COMPOSITION AND VALUES
In this lesson the focus is to SIMPLIFY. Simplify the shapes, make sure the proportions are correct, and reduce the values of each shape. Complete with one dark and one light value, then block in the local color by using the color wheel to determine the correct color.
WEEK 2 | BLOCK IN COLOR AND BROKEN COLOR
In this lesson we focus on breaking up the large areas of simple color. The broken color is a color change, not a value change. This will be an important part of this weeks lesson.
WEEK 3 | BRASS AND GLASS
This week the focus will beContinue Reading
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