Saturday, March 14, 2009

Thumbnails and value decisions

Today while sitting in the house looking out at the rain coming down I thought how nice it would be to be out painting en Plein Air on a sunny day. As I was looking out the kitchen window I noticed the contrast between outside and inside the house. I grabbed my 50% grey Prismacolor Pen and a black Sharpie to sketch the contrast in value's.

In this sketchbook photo I used the white of the paper for my whites and lightest values, then the 50% grey pen for the next value, and lastly the black Sharpie to indicate the shadow/darkest value.

I painted this using only my value sketch as my guide. This was an enjoyable exercise for me. I really had to think when choosing my colors that were back lit and in shadow. I'm not sure I did a good job of showing this, but when I converted this watercolor to black and white, below,



it seems pretty true to my original value thumbnail.

8 comments:

  1. Great idea to do value comparisons before and after the painting! I usually don't do a value sketch and it explains why my paintings are not as noice as yours ;)

    Lovely vignette!

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  2. Hi Bonny, thank you and thanks for dropping by. Value sketching, thumbnails etc. ... all things I have ignored until just recently ... who'da thunk I'd ever enjoy it? *wink.

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  3. Very interesting to see it from conception to completion - and you did a great job keeping your values where you wanted them. I also like that you added a bit of splatter to make it more interesting.

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  4. Thanks Deb. If I keep this up, next thing you know it will be a habit ... and for a change a good habit, huh?

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  5. Oh, wow! It's awesome! I'd like to try that too! I also love the colors you chose the splatter effect. I like that loose ad fresh style!
    Meda

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  6. I just discovered your blog, and I'm intrigued by your ideas. I enjoy sketching, and I'm FINALLY realizing the importance of value studies too. Thanks.

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  7. oh...I really like this study! (And the study aside, I love the colors in the second painting...)

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  8. Thanks Meda and Pilgram. Kelly, I wasn't as convinced, like you, that the colors were working. They were not what I saw ... but in reading more of Charles Reids books he says I sould paint the reality I "want to see". Love that kind of thinking, don't you?

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