In The Studio: A Lesson in Value/Light Organization: Rockport Harbor

This lesson is going to present 3 images of Rockport, Maine on the same day but different lighting conditions.  I am using watercolor to explain the lesson but you could do it in any medium but the goal is to try to get the values close to the actual ones in the image.  Understanding the value shapes and interpreting them as close as possible to the actual image will give you a better feeling for the lighting conditions and how this is shown through getting the light, darks and middle values correct.  Try to not focus on the details and the full range of color variety but just get close to the big value shapes with approximate colors.  In a more finished piece you can work out the colors more expressively but first get the values in line with what you see, remember paint what you see not what you know.  Almost always if the scene looks wrong and the colors seem incorrect it a problem value not color.  Give this a try.This painting is based on the image below the value organization is a wide range of lights, darks and middle value.  It is important that you work on getting all of these in order to really get the feeling of the side light.  I have left out most details and extra boats and building which I might put back in when I painted this a finished piece.  Keep you colors approximately right and the values pretty true and you will get the feeling for the light.This is a very dark value composition with a very small but important contrast of light.  Again the goal is the values not the color or details.this is a very light composition and again try to get the values close and the colors just approximate.  This exercise will really help you understand your images better, by lessening you focus on details and unimportant color changes.  Your paintings will begin to feel more in line with the time of day and type of color and light of the day.  Work on this and you will improve as a painter.