Painting Tip #4

Work from the middle – always reserve your lightest lights for highlights and darkest darks as accents. This is easier said than done and requires good judgment when it comes to values! Never paint darker than a value 8 or lighter than a value 3 (Munsell aficionadoes, just reverse those value numbers to: darker than a 3/lighter than an 8) so you can come in with the accents and highlights at the end.

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Painting Tip #2

Always look for a horizontal element in the landscape to lead your eye into the painting to the area of focus, which is where the most contrast should also exist – having the lightest light and darkest dark in close proximity. Also, never put your area of interest or horizon line in the center of your painting.

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Alternatively, you can click on the "LIKE" button on the sidebar of this blog! I am going to be sharing lots of things I have learned over the years that I wish someone had told me sooner in my painting career!

Painting Tip #1

Figure painter Rose Frantzen recommends that we go with what immediately appeals to our eye. Start with areas that appear easiest to see or make sense of, put down those shapes right away and work from there.