The Value in Value Studies

The Value in Value Studies

"Summer Shade"

 30" x 40" oil on canvas 

I mentioned to a friend of mine the idea of looking at finished art from a value stand point.

Each new painting I produce is subject to a whole series of checkpoints that I go through before the painting even starts in order to determine composition, color scheme, canvas shape and size, etc. Then several times throughout the process I may stop and photograph the work, download it into Photoshop, and convert the image to black &  white for the specific purpose of checking values. This is a practical idea because it takes away the distraction of color and lets you focus purely on form and values. Typically I squint my eyes and spend time observing the black & white image for darker shadows in the foreground and lighter shadows as the your eye moves farther into the background. It's also a good time to check how darkobjects and light objects relate to each other in a harmonious arrangement.