Your Turn to Paint

Now it’s your turn.

Choose one dark colour and try creating five clearly different values. You can begin with the lightest value or follow my method and begin with the darkest.

Remember:

• Add water to make the colour lighter.
• Add pigment to make the colour darker.
• Swatch your mixture when you are unsure.
• Clean your brush when a mixture becomes too dark.
• Let the squares dry before comparing them.
• If two values look too similar, try that step again.

Your eyes will become better at recognising values with practice. It doesn’t need to be perfect. The purpose of this exercise is to understand your paint and train your eyes to see the difference between light and dark.

Every colour behaves a little differently, so repeat the exercise with another colour when you’re ready.

There is no need to make every square perfect. This exercise is about learning to see the difference between light and dark, and understanding how your paint responds to water.