Value First, Color Second
Seeing, Simplifying & Building Stronger Paintings
Understanding value—the lightness and darkness of shapes—is one of the most important tools in painting. When the values work, color has room to shine.
In this three-day, hands-on workshop, we’ll slow down and really see value first, then explore how it can help you make stronger, more intentional color choices. Through demonstrations, exercises, individual guidance, and plenty of painting time, you’ll put these ideas directly into practice.
What We'll Explore
Day 1
Seeing Value
Bring 1–3 photographs of subjects you’d like to paint. We’ll begin by looking at your images in black and white and learning to see them differently—simplifying what you see into light, middle, and dark shapes rather than getting caught up in the details.
You’ll learn how to:
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Use your phone to turn everyday subjects into greyscale, making value easier to see
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Simplify what you see into light, middle, and dark shapes to strengthen composition
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See how contrast can make a painting stronger
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Compare your photographs to see which offers the strongest possibilities for a painting
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Train your eye through practical exercises you can use again in your own studio
Day 2
Composition, Color & Cropping
Using the photograph you brought, we’ll begin exploring different possibilities for your painting. We’ll crop the image in several ways, simplify it into larger shapes, and use quick collage studies to experiment with both value and color.
You’ll learn how to:
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Create several crops from the same reference photo
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Explore different angles and compositions
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Simplify your subject into larger shapes and values
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Use painted papers to create quick color studies
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Convert your color studies to black and white to see what the colors are doing in value
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Experiment with changing color while keeping the value structure strong
Day 3
Developing Your Painting
Day 3 gives you time to take what you’ve discovered and develop it into a larger, more resolved piece. You’ll work independently with individual guidance, making decisions about value, color, composition, and collage as your painting develops.
Most importantly, you’ll leave with a clearer understanding of value strengthens a painting, more confidence working with color, and a stronger process for taking an initial idea and developing it into a more resolved painting.