Category Archives: Values

Watercolor experiments with the primary colors

Recently our class with Ed Praybe focused on painting a wide range of hues using only 3 colors – a ‘primary triad’ of red, yellow and blue. As you may remember, I’ve used such severely limited palettes many times, but only in oil paints so far. It was fun to try it with watercolors.

We did a test painting, blending the three colors before applying them to the paper. Our homework was to paint three versions of a still life setup: one monochrome to analyze the value (light and dark) structure of the scene; a second in which we mixed the colors before applying them to the paper; and a third in which we applied single color washes; let them dry completely, and then painted additional single color washes on top. This last technique creates new colors as the several layers combine optically.

Cuba Memories ~~ Grandmother and her tubers. . . .

While on a trek to visit a tobacco farm in Cuba some years ago, I spied this diminutive lady trudging down the dusty road, clutching a load of huge tubers. I snapped a quick photo of her as she moved away and finally got around to painting her as homework for my watercolor class with Ed Praybe. Sweet memory.

Grandma with Tubers, Cuba 2012. Watercolor on paper. 10″ x 14″.

Ten Small Studies in Three Values ~~ Black, White and Gray.

Here is the series of monochrome studies, all 6″ x 8″, done during the workshop with Bernie Dellario. Such a concentrated repetition of that exercise was useful in helping us spot values quickly.

It’s been awhile ~~ here’s my latest painting!

I just finished an intensive four day workshop with outstanding local artist and teacher, Bernie Dellario. We were expected to make up a ‘color chart’ exploring the ways in which 3 tube colors (yellow, red & blue) + white could mix together to make virtually all the colors you might want.

We also painted ten 3-value monochrome paintings; ten 3-value color paintings; and a plein air painting which we then translated into a larger ‘studio painting’ (hopefully retaining the 3-value structure of the studies). Here’s my 16″ x 20″ studio painting of our cannas, through which we can enjoy our neighbor’s yard.

Cannas, Bamboo & Joe Pye?? Oil on linen panel. 16×20.

Here are the initial monochrome and color studies. Note that I included the bushy Joe Pye plant (?) in the black & white study; left it out of the color study; and then re-inserted it in the larger piece. Am glad I did – it’s now my favorite part of the painting!

The Lion ~~ Baltimore Museum of Art

I like to paint and draw sculptures, castings, molds and the like. It lets me focus on form and value without the distraction and mystique of glorious color. This majestic Italian lion from the BMA sculpture garden was great fun to paint.

painting of a stone lion sculpture displayed at Baltimore Museum of Art

Italian Lion, Baltimore Museum of Art. Original iPad Painting. 1:1 aspect ratio. 2017.

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The Second Exercise of the Siner Workshop: a Three Value Study

This exercise, much different from that showcased last time, reviewed key principles for a successful painting:  make an interesting pattern of darks and lights — and join similar values wherever feasible.  This painting may be a bit hard to suss out because many shapes were ‘lost’ in simplifying the scene into only three values.  Notice how the highlight atop the left ‘spoon’ melts into the light background.  And how the highlight on the short central spoon creates a strange form when linked by the mid-tone to the tall spoon handle immediately behind.

Spoons in a Pitcher + Mango + Spatula & Candle Holder.  Oil.

Spoons in a Pitcher + Mango + Spatula & Candle Holder. Oil.

The task here was to decide which of the many values in the still life set-up should be grouped into the limited value choices.  Paint obvious ‘lightest lights’ with white and ‘darkest darks’ with raw umber.  Then ask the trickier questions:  where do all of those other values in the set-up belong — in the mid-tone gray or in one of the other options?  Which grouping makes the stronger composition?   Decide on your answers and paint the shapes accordingly, in smooth, flat value tones.  No cake frosting this time!