• Home
  • Blog
  • Paintings for Sale
  • Painting Course
  • Top Painting Tips
    • Prints
  • Art Coaching
  • Resources
  • Free Download
  • Artist Statement
  • Podcast
  • Painting Podcast
  • Contact
  • Reference and Tutorial
Malcolm Dewey Fine Art
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Paintings for Sale
  • Painting Course
  • Top Painting Tips
    • Prints
  • Art Coaching
  • Resources
  • Free Download
  • Artist Statement
  • Podcast
  • Painting Podcast
  • Contact
  • Reference and Tutorial

Help Your Art Stand Out When You Solve These Two Painting Problems

25/11/2016

Comments

 
Painting Lessons with Malcolm Dewey Fine Art

Perhaps you have been painting for a few years
. If you have discovered an affinity for painting, you are probably working at improving your painting, too.

It stands to reason that you want to level up your skills to better express yourself. During this time, you may also find yourself frustrated when your progress seems to stall.

In this article I want to explore the two most common issues that beginners struggle with

Problem One: Not Simplifying the Scene
Many students ask me about this on a regular basis. When you start painting the tendency is to include everything. All the little details get thrown in for good measure. Then one day you are looking at your painting and ask, Why is this and that in the painting? Every leaf, twig and bird has been painted on the trees!

The Ah Ha! Moment
When you look at master paintings you see simple big shapes and strong light and dark contrast. This makes them look powerful. This is a moment when the despicable Mr. Gru would say “Lightbulb!”
As soon as you begin to see the subject as a simple series of light and dark shapes you will no longer be distracted by details.

This sounds easy and the truth is that it is easy, provided you make it a habit in your painting process. Habits develop with repetition so it does take practice.

Two Steps to Simplify a Scene
Step 1: Squint – The old trick of squinting slightly when you look at the subject works wonders. By closing your eyelids slightly when you look at the scene you receive the following benefits: the scene’s details disappear leaving only the large shapes visible; the essential light and dark relationships between shapes are emphasized.

Step 2: Do a Notan Sketch – Before jumping directly into painting the scene try making a small notan sketch. Think of a Japanese black and white print and you get the idea of a notan sketch. It is a graphic representation of the dominant dark or light shapes in the scene.

Use a wedge tipped black marker to quickly “paint” in the dark shape in your sketch book. A 4cm x 6cm painting is all you need. The white paper provides the light shapes. This is the beginning of the simplification process.

I must tell you that this single step profoundly changed my painting for the better. No exaggeration. If you want to see like an artist, then this method will be a bold step in right direction. This video will demonstrate the method for you.
​

Picture
Basic Notan Sequence to final painting
​Problem Two: Not Seeing the Values
Values are the degree of light and dark in the shapes making up the scene. This is sometimes referred to as tone, but value is the preferable name. Think of a black and white photo like the one above. It is a series of monochromatic shapes that can range from almost black, through many greys into almost white.

The variations of value in nature are too vast to comprehend. Instead, we have simplified the range to nine distinct values in the Munsell scale. Why is this important? The most eye-catching quality of a good painting is the contrast between light and dark. We are instinctively drawn to light and dark contrast. It is probably hardwired in our minds, so it pays to see these value relationships and capture them in our paintings.
Munsell value scale explained
The Munsell Value Scale
​Learn from the Masters
Take a look at the old master paintings by Caravaggio and Rembrandt, for example. Light and dark contrast was a major part of their method. Often most of their painting surface is dark. Then BAM! A shaft of light illuminates an important part of the painting with dramatic effect. It is mesmerizing.

Steps to Establish Values
Look at the main shapes in the black and white photograph above. Focus on the extreme light and dark shapes. How does this influence the composition? Can you focus on part of the scene where the most light and dark shapes are? Then, eliminate the boring, unnecessary parts?

Often the best scene has a dominant dark shape (for example a line of trees) and the smaller light shape to contrast with it (for example sunlit grass). Your notan painting will help you find these contrasting shapes.

Then, use the Munsell scale to decide on the correct value for each of the shapes. If you can paint shapes in the correct value and place them in the correct place you will have an eye-catching painting; kind of like putting a jigsaw puzzle together using paint and brush.

Hold up the Munsell scale at arm’s length and compare parts of the scene to the values on the scale. What number corresponds to the shape? That will be the value to match with your paint. In this way you learn to see value, mix paint to match and apply this to the canvas with confidence. Your paintings will never be the same again. You will never look at a scene quite the same again either.

Conclusion
It is a process of training mind and eye to see the essentials in every scene. Like I said earlier, solving these two problems made the biggest improvement to my painting. No more fussing over irrelevant details.

Major takeaway: Get to the heart of the scene by simplifying it and use strong values for a powerful painting. Now you can express yourself better and your paintings will receive the attention they deserve.

Ready to learn more? There are many lessons in my course Learn to Paint With Impact. that take you through the process of seeing values and simple shapes. I have a special offer exclusively for you. Plus, a bonus personal painting assessment and written critique when you join. Find out more.
​

Do you struggle with simplifying a scene into the essential shapes and values? What do you think about these methods? Are you already using them? How else have you improved your painting?
This article was first published in Sixty and Me

Comments
    FREE Book
    Picture

    Color Tips for Artists:
    ​Free
    Picture

    Book Bundle Special
    See More
    Picture

    Author

    Malcolm Dewey: Artist. Country: South Africa
    View Portfolio:

    Picture

    Archives

    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    December 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012

    Categories

    All
    Art Business
    Artist Notes
    Books Worth Every Dime!
    Its An Artists Life
    Musings
    News
    Painting Course
    Painting Demonstration
    Painting Tips
    Podcasts
    Popular Posts Archive
    Reviews


    Picture

    Picture

    Visit Malcolm Dewey Fine Art's profile on Pinterest.

    FREE
    ​GUIDE

    Picture

    RSS Feed


    Picture

    Picture

Studio:  Troon Crescent, Port Alfred, South Africa
​Malcolm Dewey Fine Art is committed to top quality art, excellent educational material and having a great time! To back that up all works sold come with a 30 Day Money Back Guarantee. Simply return the work, undamaged, within 30 days. Returns at purchaser expense. All transaction are protected by third party bank-level encryption to keep your information safe. Plus your email address is safe. No spam - ever!

​Copyright 2010-2020: Malcolm Dewey Fine Art
​
Picture
30 Day Money Back
Picture
Secure Transactions
Picture
Picture
No Spam Ever!
Photos used under Creative Commons from maHidoodi, buggolo, Fabio Téllez
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Paintings for Sale
  • Painting Course
  • Top Painting Tips
    • Prints
  • Art Coaching
  • Resources
  • Free Download
  • Artist Statement
  • Podcast
  • Painting Podcast
  • Contact
  • Reference and Tutorial