Simple Value Plan

Continue assignments from Peggi Kroll-Roberts DVDs. Merged a lot of small shapes to simplify the information.
For value studies I am now using acrylic paint: Titanium white and Raw Umber. There is no particular reason for Raw Umber. I just happen to have only those two colors in acrylic.

The benefits:
- no need to prime canvas
- you can paint on paper
- easy to clean brushes
- no chemicals in the air

Value Studies

From all objects flowers were hardest to paint: changes in values are very subtle. Besides, I have not learned how to simplify yet.

Value studies

One sunny week-end I asked my sister to take pictures of me for tonal value studies.I noticed that values on photos appear a bit darker than in real life.
It is easier to study values in still life setting because you can observe value scale in a direct way.

Simple Value Plan (continued)

Today I was practicing with figures. I am trying to simplify as much as I can.

Value Plan

Simple Value Plan

For start I picked "Simple Value Plans" lesson, because I read a lot about how critical it is for a successful painting.

I watched the DVD and questions started popping up. Peggy decides to do a four value plan in her fist demo, but does not say why. Inside the disk "jacket" you can see examples of her value plans and notice that some are painted in just 3 values, while others are in 4. I wish Peggy explored this theme in the lession.



When I was doing the assignment, I noticed that sometimes you want to change the values of the background to improve design or get an effect you are after.

DVDs from Peggy Kroll Roberts

I bought a set of 6 DVDs from Peggy Kroll Roberts. I like her high key paintings and brushwork.

The DVDs are based on a single assignment.You work on one task at a time and that makes the difference.

I read recently Vilppu's "Drawing Manual" where he writes about the pace of learning and what his approach is based on. In the book Vilppu refers to Alexander Marchack who was commissioned by NASA in 1963 to write a book to explain how man reached that point to make it possible to land a moon. Marchack's research allowed him to make a conclusion that "one of the basic elements that distinguishes man from most other animals is his ability to think in sequence....in his discussion he talks about how impossible the task of sending a man to the moon is when considered as a whole, but taken as a series of small steps or problems, it becomes possible"

I could not agree more.

I am looking forward to doing the assignments.