The value of studies

 value study-4x5 oil on canvas

    So as we get more "practiced" in our craft as artists it is easy to forget where we came from. Yet it is the strength of the foundation that builds us to be better artists.
   One thing I am animate about is drawing on a regular basis. It keeps the perception sharp, the hand and eye coordination in sync and the practice of value scales finely tuned. Yet even in painting this practice needs to be revisited.
    Since I am about to begin a commission piece I thought it best to do a few preliminary practice runs. So 12.5% scale is a value study to flesh out the composition as well as the values.