Painting Tip #19 - Use Your Palette To Judge Values

Judging values is easiest on a mid-tone palette. Compare the tone of your palette to whatever you are painting – is your subject lighter or darker than the palette?

Painting Tip #9

It seems crazy and hard to believe, but white in shadow is darker than black in the light. Keep your division of light and shadow distinct!

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 #3

Vertical elements in the landscape such as trees are always darker than the sky and the ground or lake which receives light from the sky.