Aiming to resolve the Mid-values Crisis...

[LarrySeiler]

I have oft said over the past 13 years or so around here, that ninety percent of the time something is not quite right with a painting it will likely come down to an issue with values....and so convinced, I actually started a book on that notion, somewhat cliche...dealing with our coming into a midvalues crisis time of our life!

Critiquing many works over the years, especially in the Structured Critique forum which was one of my forums to moderate since its origins...I would take someone's painting submitted and more often than not convert it to gray scale just to show what I sense straight off...that the work suffered in lacking variation, lacking atmospheric depth perception and illusion (came off sadly flat)...and what a simple adjustment to values would do.

I've quoted John F. Carlson near ad nauseum as those who know me would attest on how darks lighten going back into space, how all colors cool and for the most part desaturate. Quote Emile Gruppe in reference to his color palette strategies and how he would say near ANY color scheme would work so long as values are spot on...

So...in my absence of much of the past 5-6 months I've been doing Go To Meetings for F&W...and working on some coursework for Artist Network University...and in fact, one is coming up September 11th I hope some will check out. Called, "Plein Air Essentials- Take Control With A Values Driven Palette"

http://www.artistsnetworkuniversity....driven-palette



To prepare for the final week's session, was out this past week...knew I had about two hours before a major thunderstorm was to come thru. This piece above is not quite finished...14"x 18" ...need to finish power lines and obsess with edges...but, the last half hour was with threatening dark clouds overhead, thunder...and just as I thru the last bit of stuff in the back of my truck it came down.

The palette I intended for this was to expand beyond just the main value groups of each color (Dark, Mid, Light) to include half-tones...but, what was of interest to me is...the expanded values are not necessary as transitions to make this work any more than it does already. As said, a few things to finish...but it works. This then, by admission...demonstrated to me too how little is necessary for painterly suggestiveness to pull off.

So...with just the main values...shown on this palette here...of a dark, mid, light plus white came the results you see above. Now...had I found it good and proper, adding the halftones would have added two variations to each main value group of each color...



So frankly...that would have been 39 total premixed piles of pigments. Really as a limited palette...the employed strategy would have provided more than enough color/value to choose from, demonstrating also the "limited" palette was not so limiting. But...instead, only these main values/colors proved necessary...

Here is a .gif animation...of a gouache I did of a local area, just in grayscale...and again, surprises me just how little information is necessary to create a painterly suggestive realism...



Again...only four main values.

[Suetois]

Thanks, Larry. I've just been thinking about this issue. I was just looking at my latest painting and thinking that it has too many mid values, and not enough darks. When I convert it to grayscale there are only a few small areas of dark (except for the tree) and that makes the tree not seem to settle into its environment.



One question: How quickly should values "recede?" I think I understand how to handle the gradation when the vista has a lot of distance, but, for example, the trail in my current painting curves out of sight not too far "back" from the tree. It seems to me that the darkest darks/lightest lights should still be at the foreground, but that the range between the two extremes should be less than in a painting that depicts a scene with more depth. Yes? (And, yes, I see that I made the farthest-back rock formation darker in value than anything except the tree, which would definitely violate this concept.)

Sue

[oldradagast]

Lovely painting and really good information!

It is amazing how much can be said in relatively few value planes.

[LarrySeiler]

Originally Posted by Suetois

Thanks, Larry. I've just been thinking about this issue. I was just looking at my latest painting and thinking that it has too many mid values, and not enough darks. When I convert it to grayscale there are only a few small areas of dark (except for the tree) and that makes the tree not seem to settle into its environment.



One question: How quickly should values "recede?" I think I understand how to handle the gradation when the vista has a lot of distance, but, for example, the trail in my current painting curves out of sight not too far "back" from the tree. It seems to me that the darkest darks/lightest lights should still be at the foreground, but that the range between the two extremes should be less than in a painting that depicts a scene with more depth. Yes? (And, yes, I see that I made the farthest-back rock formation darker in value than anything except the tree, which would definitely violate this concept.)

Sue

for one thing the power of your darks can be given greater emphasis by expanding also your lights. When I squint my eyes...there is not too much difference between the light off foreground plane forms and the greater distance. If the light along the horizon of the distance was lightened a good deal more, it would increase atmospheric depth illusion, and the result psychologically is that tree would feel to be sitting in our laps more. I would definitely anchor the darks by increasing the darks of the rock edges along the water. For one, wet rocks simply appear darker...and it would help lead the eye, and also bring the foreground more forward.

[Suetois]

Thanks, Larry. (Hah! I knew that trail looked like water.) I've reworked this painting some and posted it in my "Mud puddle" thread. I tried lightening some of the darks at the back of the painting, and darkening darks and lightening lights at the front. Plus, I hope, adjusting the trail so it doesn't look so much like water. It looks more balanced to me know. If you have time, would you check it over there and tell me what you think? Thanks.

Sue

[LarrySeiler]

probably because the highest point (of the trail) appears like a waterfalls to drop off away from us, as typically a running creek/river would do...

[Dcam]

Larry: I could just eat up that little example you gave us....sweet little landscape. It reminds me so much of my prof's work: the famous Maryland Landscapist: Eugene Leake (rip). He was my painting prof. at The Maryland Institute College of Art. Not to compare too closely and I hope you don't mind my mentioning him and including an image of his work. Like you, he was a master of values.
This is a valuable and informative thread Larry. I am reminded of Cezanne and the impressionists; one of their theories stated that warm colors advance and cool colors recede.

Here is an example of one of Prof. Leake's work. If you don't mind:



Thanks for your thread Larry. I've been drawn to working on black lately and working up my lights in layers.....especially effective for me in acrylics.

Happy Painting. Derek

[LarrySeiler]

yep....very nice Derek... Push push push...

when we paint outdoors especially, we paint the color of light. I think of "air"...and air has water molecules that trap light. Depending where we live (arrid or humid) the density of such molecules over a given distance will haze out midground and background. It will obscure and greatly soften edges...

I bumped a long time thread up in the plein air forum for folks...but this thread on the "Progression of Regression of Color and Values" thread, and thing folks will benefit...
http://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/showthread.php?t=290260

[jmax]

Masterful stuff as always ... I like looking at your paintings about 12 foot
away from the computer screen. Sounds odd but they are even more sparkling
than usual.

I do wish tho I wasn't so thick as to tell what in gods name mid tones are.
One tonalist I recall did sort them out. I can only get lights and dark. Choose
a light for the light and a dark for the dark and have a colour orgy really.

That Leake painting is a cracker as well.

[viking57]

Hi Larry,

What a great thread you've started. Hope the massive number of hits to it means all of the info was read by those who have managed to see it. This is good info! Painters should slow down and really read this. It would solve a lot of problems managing their values. Excellent and the demo is great!
Ron