Next class at the BeckerArt Gallery will be June 13th from 9am to 11:30am

Email me at Beckerart@gmail.com to reserve a spot, first come first serve.

Last week I was asked about why do I sometimes do a value sketch for my paintings and sometimes I don't. The answer was I always do a value sketch before I paint, but sometimes it isn't a physical sketch but instead a sketch in my minds-eye. Sometimes I also turn the photo to black and white and use that as my value pattern.

The reason you do a value sketch before painting is to create a blueprint for the value pattern of the scene you will be painting. This blueprint also helps you with the steps you will be taking to create the painting. Since most of the time, a watercolor is done from light to dark, having a value sketch plans the process out for you since it will be the same process for when you sketch up the value sketch. You will basically be running through the painting steps in the sketch that you will then do the same for when painting it with watercolor.

 

The value sketch also helps you in simplifying the large value pattern when doing complicated scenes, like a city scene for instance. The city will have thousands of elements to the scene but you have to figure out how you can simplify all those shapes of objects into simple light and dark, large patterned shapes. The value pattern eliminates the small details in the scene and makes you see if the large pattern will hold the painting together.

 

Below I show you how I simplified the golf scene so it made it easier to paint large washes. Painting large washes is the easiest and freshest way to paint in watercolor so if you can figure out a way to do only large washes in a watercolor painting your painting will have a very fresh and vibrant look. Of course, there will still be details in your painting but they will be painted after the large fresh washes already make up most of your value pattern.