Foundations 1: Value

Welcome to Foundations 1: Value! We're delighted you're here. You've taken an important step in your artistic journey. Whether you're just getting started with art or you want to gain more confidence, you are in the right place.

There are three quick things to know before you get started:

The key to this curriculum is follow-through. You will get the best results from completing each lesson thoroughly. Take all the time that you need; some will go more quickly than others. There's no need to keep up with the pace of the instructional videos. Pause as often as needed, and go at your own pace.
Go in order. These lessons were designed to do in order and build on each other, so resist the urge to skip around.
Have fun, and take heart knowing that all mistakes are fixable. Worksheets can be reprinted, and paint can be layered over. Art is meant to be enjoyed, so relax and enjoy the process!

Welcome!

Are you intimidated by a blank canvas? Do you often struggle to start a painting with confidence? If so, you are in the right place! Meet Laura, your instructor for this course. Not only is she here for you in video form, but she'll be happy to answer any specific questions that you have as you work your way through this curriculum at laura@thesketchingpad.com.

Let's get clarification on some important terms that we'll be using throughout this course!

Foundations: The principals of art that are consistent across all art forms

Value: The degree of lightness or darkness of a color

Contrast: The difference between the lightest and darkest values in a piece of art

Here's what you'll need as you experiment with thumbnails! Want to print extra copies? Just click the images below for a printable version of the handouts.

It's time to learn about posterizing, mixing shades of gray, and brush control!

Grab the handout to the right from your kit. If you'd like to print extra copies to mark up as you watch the video, click the image for a printable version of the handout.

Now you're ready for your first painting project for this course!

Here's what you'll need for this project:

Your canvas board with the wine glass sketch
White and black paint pods from your kit
Your paintbrushes from your kit
A cup of water to rinse your brushes between shades of gray
A napkin or paper towel to dry your brushes
A disposable plate or palette for mixing shades of gray

For your second project, you'll need to add your stacked cups canvas board to the list of items you gathered for the last painting!

Grab the handout to the right from your kit. If you'd like to print extra copies to draw and write on as you watch the video, click the image for a printable version of the handout.

Watch this video to find out the secret to blending your shades of gray!

Up until this point, we've been posterizing our images to simplify the values and understand highlights and shadows on a high level. Now it's time to learn to blend those values to create more subtle shadows and gorgeous textures.

Now that you've learned some blending techniques, it's time to jump into the final project!

Grab the handout to the right from your kit. If you'd like to print extra copies to draw and write on as you watch the video, click the image for a printable version of the handout.

You've done it!

We hope you're feeling more confident about your future artwork! If you have any questions about any of the projects that you've created during this course, please reach out to laura@thesketchingpad.com.

Ready for the next step? It's time for Foundations 2!

Foundations 2: Color Theory