Tool for keeping your values strong

May 30, 2014


Value

From different teachers I have heard many times in different ways - value does all the work and color gets all the credit.

On her blog Sue Williams talked about a tool she uses and it is a great idea.  Here is a link to her blog.  Please take a look at her paintings, too.  The first shown called "Arrived"  really uses shapes and values for its success.  It just twinkles. 


http://suewilliamsstudio.blogspot.com/

Thank you, Sue, I made this tool immediately.  I like the size of yours better, but I had this scrap of wood leftover from a painting.  Next time I will make a bigger one. 

While you are painting if you have a question about the value of your choice paint right on the board to check your value . 

 

I did a lot of thinking about value in this painting.  I like these two colors together.

Note:  Patti Mollica's book Color Theory   covers this topic very well.  Sue learned about this from one of Patti's videos from YouTube as she mentions on her blog.  I recommend Patti's book and any of her DVD's.  She is also a master of very strong brushwork, too.  The book is concise and packed with information, one of my favorites. 

 

color boards

 

These are the colors boards that I talked about on an earlier post.  The idea is to make one for every color on your palette.  The first board is the basic palette, then each successive board starts with a different color from your palette until you have one board for each color.  The color is full strength on the top row, then tinted with white, (I used titanium).

 

Reasons for doing this:

 

Helped me become familiar with my colors and get to know them.

 

 

Helped me understand value

 

Helped with color mixing

 

Helped with using a brush  ( you can do these with a palette knife, too, then it helps with using a palette knife)

 

I'll post more of the boards in the next few days. 

 

If you have any questions, just e-mail me or use the comment box.  These helped me a lot and my students at least say they like them.