What makes a painting stand out on a gallery wall?
I was so disappointed to see how my painting disappeared on the wall of the gallery. After labouring over that little painting for hours, I felt like I had something beautiful, and I did, but in contrast to the painting beside it, it was all but invisible.
So what makes a painting stand out? How could I make paintings that drew people closer from across the room?
I spent a lot of time thinking about how to make my paintings more impactful, and it wasn’t an easy time. I had been made aware that my paintings lacked strength, and I wasn’t sure I could change. I thought maybe I was just a quiet, introverted girl destined to make quiet, overlookable paintings. From what I was reading and learning from the artists I followed, I realized that strengthening my ability to depict value and value contrasts would improve my art, but I struggled with this as well, because I didn’t really like the strategies I was being offered.
I didn’t want to spend hours planning my paintings.
I didn’t want to paint detailed value studies.
I wasn’t even sure I could muster enough attention to create quick value thumbnails, and, when I tried, the thumbnails had no real impact on my painting process. I didn’t know how to link them so that they would be an effective tool.
There is a sense in which growth in art is inevitable. No matter how you may like the stage you’re in, you will continue to grow beyond where you are today. And when you begin to get an inkling of what your art might need, or a next step for growth, you will be drawn toward that outcome. And that’s what happened for me. As I became aware of what my art needed, I started noticing value - the patterns of light and dark in other artists’ work, in my reference material, and in my own process.
Building a new skill is overwhelming. It can feel like starting from a blank piece of paper, but the truth is, there is always something you already have that you can bring to the process. You know more than you think you do; maybe you just need some help unlocking that knowledge to use it more intentionally.
What I have learned about value has served my painting practice well over the last ten years. I’ve been able to feel like this concept is my own. I might never create the most dramatic painting in the room - that’s not who I am - but I learned that developing my ability to paint from a values-based foundation is a three part process.
Values inform technique. Most instructors will talk about value as the range of light to dark in a painting, and the contrasts these create. This makes paintings more impactful and creates the appearance of three-dimensional shape and form.
The ability to see value and apply it is a brain-training exercise. New painters can’t think about value because their brains are simply too engaged with mastering the physical techniques of watercolour to think about design. Readiness comes, and with it, the ability to see value is refiined.
Values express identity. Many instructors overlook this factor. We use the term “value” not just as an artistic concept, but as a way of communicating what’s important to us in a deeply personal way. You can use value to prioritize design YOUR way and thus, express your truly individual style. This is where value gets really exciting, and helps you make art that you love!
Watercolour Mastery: The Values Module, is opening for enrollment very soon! I’d love to have you join the course! Sign up to be added to the waiting list and receive the link to the information session, and enrollment link when it opens: https://signup.angelafehr.com/mastery-waiting-list