Page 127 - The Decorative Painter Summer 2014

composition. The range of values and overall value placement are always relative to the key and style of a painting. Value and value placement are used to create the illusion of dimension and depth from the foreground to the background.
Question: Value changes within the stroke groupings are ____.
This question relates only to stroke submissions, and indicates whether or not the groupings of strokes have enough value change to keep the flow moving within the stroke design.
Question: Lack of proper value change causes the ____ to appear flat.
Value changes are needed to create three-dimensional form. Any element that doesn’t have enough value change will appear flat or without dimension. A minimal number of three values, when blended properly, will give you five values to create form. Obviously, the more values used, the more realistic the illusion of form.
Question: The values of the ____ cause the eye to jump and/or stop abruptly.
Sometimes the values of an element change too quickly (under-blending), don’t change enough (over- blending or lacking enough values), or may be too light
or dark. This can cause the viewer’s eye to jump to that area or completely stop the flow of the design.
Question: Value of the background is supportive/too light/too dark.
The background is usually the largest area within
the design, so it is important that it doesn’t demand too much attention or allow the design to become lost within it. Determine the correct value for background that works with the elements that will be painted on it.
Knowing when and how to manipulate value will lead the viewer’s eye through a painting. Imagine the petals
at the back of the flower being the area of lightest value against a very dark grouping of leaves. A high area of contrast draws the eye to it and can be used to pull the viewer into the painting. Perhaps there are some buds
or leaves in the background, but they are not part of the center of interest. Value can be used to make them recede by painting them closer in value to the background value, or using lower contrast.
Overall depth of the painting can be created by assigning the largest range of values to the most important areas of the painting—the focal area or center of interest. It is used to draw the viewer’s attention into the painting, then develop a smaller range of values outside of that area and an even smaller range of values beyond.
For Sharon’s DVDs and designs, go to www.sharonhamiltonartist.com.
Go to www.artapprenticeonline.com for online classes.
The Mystery of the
Certification Judging Room SOLVED!
The Certification Committee has developed three great online videos that take the mystery out of the SDP Certification critique process. Follow the judges as they discuss and evaluate actual submitted boards. The three videos focus on:
• Introduction to the Judging Process • Still Life Critique Demonstration
• Stroke Critique Demonstration
We invite you to begin your Quest for Excellence! The information contained in these videos
is invaluable in understanding what makes a painting work—value, intensity, form, color,
and control.
Go to www.decorativepainters.org/ certification.php to view these invaluable videos online for FREE.
dEcOratIvEpaINtErS.Org
The Decorative Painter
• ISSUE NO. 2, 2014 125