Strong Values

Photo from Jennifer McChristian

Painting is all about making value judgments. And I don't mean the type that concern good and evil!  In painting, "value" describes the relative lightness or darkness of things. Good values are the strongest determinant of the success of a painting--more so than even color. 

If you're not familiar with the concept of value, start by thinking of a black and white photo. The darkest areas are a low value, and the lightest areas are a high value.  Every color has a value, in addition to a hue. The image just above shows a value scale, marked to show values numbered from 1 to 4--a handy tool for the painter.

Demonstraton value study by Jennifer McChristian

It's important for painters to learn to see the world in just a few values. Seeing in just three of four values helps you organize the canvas into a pleasing array of shapes. In fact, some painters always do a value study before they begin a painting. It's a way of problem-solving, before you delve into the canvas. Jennifer McChristian does sensitive and beautiful value studies. She often uses markers in varying shades of gray (see top image). She also uses gouache, such as the value study immediately below. 

Value Study, (c) Jennifer McChristian

Taking a tip from McChristian, I took Copic markers with me to Paris one year. I didn't have time to execute complete paintings, but I did a number of value studies. My favorites became the basis of larger paintings back home in the studio. You can see one example below. The first image is the value study, followed by the finished painting. I tried to stay faithful to the values when laying down the color. As they say, "Color gets all the glory, but value does all the work."  So true!

Value Study, (c) Lesley Powell

"Across Pont des Invalides"
14 x 14, Oil on Linen
(c) Lesley Powell 2017
(SOLD)