Shades and Values

Shades and Values; What's are They?

I've been told that the human eye can distinguish approximately 256 different colors and differentiate between 10 to 12 different shades. And that the computer can distinguish between millions. However, you'll probably get a much different estimate on what the human eye can actually see, one that will vary into the millions, depending the the sources that you consult.

And shades and values, as well as color, will vary not only from computer to computer, but from human eye to human eye as well. So how can you use shades and values in your artwork to complement a painting? And why is it important?


More than just what the human eye can see.....it's what makes art really art. It's what enhances a flat piece of paper and makes it something worth framing. It's what makes a mother place cherish her child's first attempts to reach reality in her son's drawings and what motivates the young artist to achieve perfection. It's what drives us to buy that perfect painting for our home. It's what makes each of us see something different in each and every piece of art we come across, the perceived sense of reality that each artist is trying to convey with their pencils and brushes using their colors and pigments, their array of shades, values and tints.

When direct light hits an object, several things happen. Not only to the object, but to the human eye as well. Relected light comes into place, and refracted light. Mixed colors on the color wheel and with the addition of white we now have tints. (Confusing, isn't it?) But our world is a colorful place and without it, less beatiful I think. So need to give color its due and treat it carefully when painting.

It's easier to begin in black and white with a simple chart of 10 shades beginning from black to white with 8 shades of gray. Once you have mastered those, and understood the values of grays, it's easier to move on to color :)

Visit www.armchairpaintclasses.com/articles/shades.html for a little bit more reading.

Madeleine Jacobs

Creative Design

Creative Design

Creative and intelligent design in a painting is desirable and actually should be planned. While spontaneity is also a much desired and looked for trait, especially in a watercolor painting, at times a planned creative design is needed and neccessary.

For example, in a landscape, you have many points to consider....elements of color, size, balance, directional lighting, values, perspective, shape, and texture. You might want to just throw all this into the mix and see what comes out of the mix....or you might just want to plan a nice balance and create a nice structure to create a sense of order.

In a landscape, you have planes. Sky, for instance, would be on the back plane, mountains would be on the next one closer to the viewer, a valley would be on a mid-plane and the area directly in front would be the closet plane.

You would want to take into account how much detail would be put where. And where is your strongest source of light going to come from? And from there, you must choose where your strongest lights will be, and following that, where your strongest darks will be.

Creative Design can actually be your strongest point in planning in painting....and the most fun!

Madeleine Jacobs
www.armchairpaintclasses.com/articles
www.armchairpaintclasses.com

Found some of the older articles which are now posted at ArmChairPaintClasses

I've found several of my older articles and am trying to rebuild a site after a few years of neglect. I welcome any feedback and ideas if you care to email me at any time.
If you wish to look at any of the older articles, (one has a downloadable pdf file for painting leaves) stop by at www.armchairpaintclasses.com/articles

Madeleine Jacobs

Looesning Up

New Article on Painting a Maple Leaf....well, actually it's an older one, but after my site crashed, I lost the article. But hurray! I found it again! I'ts a small article, though a fun one to paint. You can find it here at www.armchairpaintclasses.com/articles/loosening-up.html

Cleaning Your Brushes

If you have some high dollar brushes, or even if your painting brushes are not that expensive, an artist needs to know how to take care of and treat, as well as to clean, their brushes. Even an inexpensive brush will last you an incredibly long time with quality care. Read my article on www.armchairpaintclasses.com/articles/brushcleaning.html for a few tips to get more longevity out of your art brushes.

Madeleine Jacobs

Are you a true artist?

Are you a true artist?

Personally, I think I think if you have the passion to design, create and follow through with the implementation of your design, then you are an artist :) That's what makes you unique. Not everyone is able to do what you do. And every artist is unqiue.

What's your take on this? How do you see creating and designing? Is it it something you have a passion to do?

Madeleine Jacobs