Thursday, January 08, 2009

Milk Glass with Tulip (value study)

Value studies have dramatically helped me create better paintings. I'm using five values only with pure white being my lightest, pure raw umber as my darkest, and then three other values inbetween. I begin by painting all the darkest shadows first. I'm doing a lot of value studies because I'm trying to improve my ability to use chiaroscuro. Chiaroscuro is the painting technique and philosophy of creating shapes from the shadow as oppose to delineating through contours, outlines.
9x12
oil on linen

2 comments:

Edgar said...

Oscar buzz for "Milk Glass"!

Amazing painting... funny how "black and white" images have this cool "arty" feeling.

I simply have to try a value study, it looks so very helpful.

susan hong-sammons said...

You will be glad you spent the time if you make a value study. Will you do it in watercolor?