Good Values

"Wonderful World", oil, 6x6"

"Value does the work, color gets the glory."

Richard McKinley

Why is it so important to have a good understanding of values when you paint?

1. Values describe the scene in three important ways:

• Whether the subject has volume or is flat.
• What kind of texture the surface of the subject has.
• Where the light source is located, and how bright it is.

2. Values create the visual structure of the painting

• The darks and lights of a painting do more than just provide descriptive information-they also determine its structure.

When you look just at the values you see the movement through the painting.

Take the time to do a thoughtful value drawing thumbnail before you begin a painting. This one to the right is very small and has already helped me prepare for my next painting!

Have fun playing with your paints and pastels!
Judy