Sixty Minute Artist: "Relative" Value and Color
At the workshop with Bob Rohm at the end of October, he stressed value changes also. One of his tips for pastel painters was to pick out about 3 values of each color that you are thinking of using in the painting so you remember to use them. This would be a light, medium and dark green for example. Susan Carlin was talking about Helen Van Wyk in one of her comments and Helen uses 5 main values in a painting.
The body color, which is the main color of the item.
The body shadow, where the form turns.
The cast shadow, where something actually casts a shadow.
The reflected light.
The highlight.
To clarify this here is a snippet of one of my tomato paintings.
Original Painting
Helen Van Wyk's five values
My painting corrected with darker body shadow and darker shadow.In my original painting, I showed the form of the tomato mostly with color. You can see that the painting would be more dramatic with the stronger value changes. If you can't see the difference in the first and last, squint a little. From across the room it would make a big difference. Maybe I am learning something over the years. :)
Maybe you can see the difference better in black and white.
Maybe you can see the difference better in black and white.
10 comments:
The deeper body shadow, and the deeper cast shadow definitely improve this. I need to think more about shadows as I paint them.
Jo, I like the deeper shadow as well. For your reflected light, stay away from white. Try putting in a value that is the same or slightly higher than your deeper shadow value--but has a bit more chroma. Here is an example, pick a brown-red that is a middle value (say, 5 on the value scale) for your shadow, then use straight cadmium red as the reflected light. Key is, same value--different chroma. Oh yeah, the chroma should be the same as the local color (red, in this case). See if you like the effect. Jerry (sixtyminuteartist)
Joan, We sure do. I didn't think about value until a few years ago. I used color only to separate things. I'm learning .. a never ending process. Thanks for stopping by during this busy time.
Jerry, That sounds good for the reflected light. I don't think there was white in the reflection, probably yellow from the table. The photo has been changed soooo many times now and was just a snapshot to begin with. Maybe this will be my first project for 2008, to try the value/chroma effect. I appreciate your comments and suggestions. :) Your blog is so informative.
Viewing the color picture in black and white makes checking the values easier for me.
I am always surprised by how much it reveals.
Leslie, boy ain't that the truth. I should do more value sketches before I start. I am just so lazy and impatient. Maybe when I grow up? Don't know when that is, maybe Medicare will let me know. :) They haven't yet, just sent me the card.
I learned very little in my college art classes, but I did have one professor who taught us the value of values :) He taught us to use the complimentary color rather than black and white. With my young students today, it is a constant struggle to get them to see the value differences, much less to paint them.
I like the tomato - it would make a nice study for my students.
Bag Blog, Helen Van Wyk used red and green peppers to demonstrate the compliments and values together. Works well. It is nice that you teach. Values are a challenge.
I used to watch Helen Van Wyke on television. Quite a character.
Jeanne, nice to see you. Hope you are doing well. Helen was a character, but had great color theories.
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