Back Country, Jo-Ann Sanborn

Acrylic on Canvas, 20"x24"

Another Everglades painting done some time ago.  Like yesterday's painting, has found a home, where I hope it is still being enjoyed. 

Today we'll talk about color value.  Every color has a value, and you should know the value of the tube colors you use regularly.  Value makes form have volume, and without it your forms are flat and poster-like.  You can also build form with color, since warm colors come forward and cool colors recede.  When you use the two together, using warm and cool colors with correct values, your painting will take on a look of wholeness and completeness. 

Light and value create form no matter what the color.  Here's a simple way to remember color value.

• Establish the value of the home color of the object you are painting
• The side of the object away from the light will be a darker (the darkest) value
• The point where the light hits most directly will be the lightest value
• Light and reflected light will bathe the object facing the light making them light mid tones.
• The shadow cast by the object will be dark mid-tone.

Some other helpful things to know when painting the landscape.

• Color is least distorted where light is strong, to a point
• Really strong sunlight with wash out the color, sometimes almost completely
• In weaker light, colors become darker, duller, and more muted.