Value Studies - Process Shots from Workshop Demo

Jekyll Beach Value Study, 6 x 8, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2016

Workshop Demo - Anderson Fine Art Gallery, St. Simons Island, GA

Last weekend I taught a workshop on St. Simons Island, GA. The focus of the workshop was color and value in the landscape, and we drilled way down to understand those concepts. On the first day, we took a break from color and painted value studies. Below is a review for my students and for anyone who would like to try it!

Mix a strand of 5 grays, plus black and pure white (7 values total). 

Make sure the grays are distinct from one another.

Get started with a sketch of simple shapes to compose the scene. 

Divide the landscape into 5 values, using John Carlson's Theory of the Planes...

Working dark to light, use first gray (darkest) in foreground uprights found in rock shadows, second gray in middle ground uprights (trees), third gray in distant uprights, fourth gray in ground plane (water) and fifth gray (lightest) in sky.

Values come together as they recede... darks get lighter and lights get darker. 

(Note: usually the lightest light will be found in the sky, but in this scene the white sand reflecting the sunlight was brightest.)

Use subtle value shifts to indicate highlights in each plane.

Save pure white for highest highlights (rock light), and pure black for calligraphy and darkest shadows in the foreground.

Mix a strand of warm values using yellow, black and white.

Mute each value in this strand with white (muted strand not shown, sorry!)

Use warm values to indicate how temperature behaves when color is added.

Color intensifies as it comes forward, and it weakens (mutes, cools) as it recedes.

Hard at work, mixing and identifying values...

Many thanks to a wonderful group of students, you all did GREAT!