CLASS ONE

Learning To See The Value Of Your Color

VALUE

VALUE is always the most important element of color in two dimensional art. Learning to see and understand value is paramount. Let’s make sure we all understand the term VALUE as it is key to understanding color. Watch this short slide presentation.

Please Note: Each video in this course has its own unique password.

• VIDEO PASSWORD: Value

PROJECT 1A

Paint Directly On A Photo To Study Values

• VIDEO PASSWORD: Project1A

In this Exercise we have some fun with color! Watch as I paint directly on a black and white photo while matching the values with color. This can be done in oil paint or acrylic. The painting may not last forever, but this is just for fun and learning.

• Print out a photo on your ink jet printer in black and white.

• Don’t use gloss paper as the paint won’t stick.

• Any matte photo paper should work just fine.

• Set your printer to print a good quality print so that you get a good range of darks and lights—black to white—in your photo.

I use a “selfie” and self-portraits make a great subject matter for this project, but you can use any subject matter that excites you.  Just be sure to pick a photo that has a wide range of values from 1 to 10...and now you know what that means!

NOTE: In this video I say that light colors recede and dark colors come forward. This concept generally holds true for landscapes (we will get more into this idea further on), however in portraits it is typically the case that lights come forward and darker colors recede.

Examples of contemporary painters who use expressive color while matching the values of what they see.
Clicking on the image will take you to their website. 

PROJECT 1B

Learn To See Values In Your Colors By Working With A Black & White Photo As Your Reference

• VIDEO PASSWORD: Project1B

In this video I demo a colorful still life painting, however the source image is a black and white photo. The intention is to match the values of the photo with the colors that I use.  

Download one or more of the images from the SUBJECT MATTER Gallery* above to work from, or, of course, feel free to choose your own image. Paint the image in expressive colors matching the values of the black and white photo. Feel free to simplify and interpret the paintings in your own way. Any landscape (for instance) will need simplification. 
*The slide show with image options is in the Introduction

I am not looking for exact renderings and photo-realism!!!! I can help you with drawing skills, but the intention of this project is to focus on color and value. If you do choose your own B/W  photo, it's often more fun if you don't know exactly what the image actually looked like in color.

NOTE:  The colors I use on my palette for this demo are the ones shown in the palette below for CLASS THREE. For Sap Green I only like Winsor Newton. Colors can vary greatly by manufacturer and Winsor’s Sap Green is rich and dark and transparent, while other brands often are not.