I am a landscape painter juxtaposing color in pastel to create the illusion of light.

When I paint I try to see color as a value not its hue. I try not to think what local color something is but what value is it in relation to its surroundings. Instead of a red I may think of it as a value 5.

The Gray Scale & Value Finder is a great tool that I use both for plein air and studio work.

For Studio work I sort my pastels by 5 values.

Very Light, Light, Medium, Dark and Very Dark.

I learned this wonderful tip from one of my first pastel instructors,  Susan Kuznitsky, when she gave a workshop at the Art Barn in Valparaiso, Indiana.

The chart below is an exercise that I like for my students to do to begin to see color as value. To try it, use any sketch paper and draw 5 columns, 

labeling them very light, light, medium, dark and very dark.

Now just mark your pastels in the appropriate column. Sounds easy? It's harder than it looks. Doing this will really make you think about what value you are really using.

For me this way of painting by value opened up a whole new way to see and use color. I think it is an easier way to paint, I no longer dig in my pastel boxes trying to find the perfect color, which does not exist,  but I look for the right value.

Here is a detail of a mini painting, I did yesterday. Using value I was able to layer a lot of color, because they are similar in value they don't make a muddy mess.

Cloud Study, Mini Pastel Painting, 2.5X3.5  Available for $12.00 plus tax and shipping.

Thanks for reading!