Down the Value Study Rabbit Hole

What's the best way to create a value study for me? I'm trying to figure that out. And how to paint from it once I've done it? I'm trying to figure that out, too. Been re-reading Ian Roberts' Mastering Composition. Have re-dedicated myself to working on a value composition a day (my original goal). He promises that a year of these daily compositions will make a HUGE difference in my art. Even with the few I've done, I'm seeing improvement and I'm asking a lot more questions, which I think means I'm on the right track for me right now.

Overall, I've done five value studies of the rose, and it's getting tedious. But each one had me asking another question, so I continued on. It was a great exercise, trying different methods. I should have done one last one, a pencil sketch, but I've run out of steam. What's interesting, though, is that they all look similar yet different. Referring to the quad image at right, the simplest studies (3 values, upper left with charcoal on gray paper and upper right with collaged black and white paper on gray) seemed too simple to me, but the first one done in Procreate (bottom left) was way too busy. A second version in Procreate (bottom right) uses five values plus a white highlight, but it seems like a little too much also.

I like the last one (above), done with the broad edge of Copic markers, because the markers forced me to keep it simple. I was also able to differentiate the rose compared to the background more easily. Today, this one looks the best to me. A year from now I might think differently.

Tomorrow I'll paint this rose one more time, following my copic marker value composition. I'm also going to use Roberts' color palette, which is definitely different than Dreama Tolle Perry's. I'm guessing that eventually I'll end up somewhere between the two, picking and choosing from both to get the colors I like to use. Following my own artist instinct. What a concept!

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Becoming an Artist

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