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I often wish I could paint faster.  I envy the artist who can sit down in front of a blank canvas and a few hours later sign their name to a masterpiece.  I’m not that artist.  I have found that the only way I can produce a successful painting is with careful planning and by following a tried and true step-by-step plan.  It works for me - I’m just a methodical person I guess.

 

One of the steps in my process is the creation of a solid value plan and value studies.  The term “value” may have many meanings in the English language, but in art it means the degree of lightness or darkness in a color.  In short, value means degree of light.  Darker tones are considered to have lower key values while lighter tones have higher key values.  A value plan is a study of where the lightest lights, darkest darks and middle tones are to be located in a painting and whether together they make a pleasing composition. 

 

Value study and preparatory sketch for "Silver & Gold"

 

Value is considered to be the most important element in a work of art, more so than color.  Human beings see light before their brains process color.  The eye is attracted to light elements against dark elements.  This is contrast, and it’s how a painter directs the viewer’s attention where we want it to go. It’s actually value, not color that creates the illusion of light and texture.   The importance of value becomes apparent when we look at a black & white photo - we still can easily identify even highly complicated objects without a speck of color. 

 

The value plan, or value pattern creates the structure of a painting.  It facilitates the movement of the viewer’s eye into, through and around the piece by using contrast of tonal values.  It holds the viewer’s attention on the focal point through that contrast.  A good value plan creates harmony, flow, balance, intensity and excitement in a painting.  We often think that we’re drawn to a piece of art because of the colors, but more often than not we are really attracted to the value pattern.  That’s why I always make sure to have a good value plan before I begin to add color to a painting.

 

So I’ll continue to make my value studies, as well as preparatory sketches and even color studies before I begin each painting.  I’ll never be a fast painter, but that’s o.k.  I love the process as much as the results!