Hi Steven,
Thank you for your reply. I apologize for taking so long to thank you for it, I've only just come back from Thanksgiving holiday vacation.
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Steven Sweeney
I suspect that those who advised you that shadows must be dark were probably just trying to get you to extend your value range. That is, perhaps you naturally paint in a high key. When you're starting out and trying to master the depiction of form, it's much easier to use an extended value range -- get those dark darks in there, as well as the light lights, and everything in between. The subtlety of a narrower value range (whether high, middle or low key) is tougher to parse.
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I think you are absolutely right about this. My instructors are trying to teach me to model form and certainly it's easier with a broader value range. Hmm, I just didn't realize it could be done effectively in a narrow value range. But I suppose that's why paintings I see in books do work, even though they are in a higher key. So, what you're saying is . . .. . . I can do anything I want! Yippee! Oh, it just has to work though.
I think my last instructor taught using the broadest value range and kept telling me to do the same thing, I just didn't think it was "right" to do it otherwise. Certainly this example shows me the value of taking lessons from different instructors. Thank you for putting this into words and explaining it to me.
Joan