Today I took another fascinating Zoom online class with Vlad Yesilesev in Value Sketching today. He always does one before he paints a scene or a photo.
These value sketches will be used for this months paint alongs on Sunday afternoons.
He says a value sketch determines your Composition and Value which are the most important things in any painting.
After you determine your Composition you do Value with the highest contrast in your focal point with lightest and darkest. There will also be more detail in this area. NEVER copy a photo.
It does not have to be pretty.
So here’s what we did today. 
The photo. Kind of Ho hum boring. 
Cortez Fl Cottage cropped. changed a lot hasn’t it??!
The value sketch. The Adirondack chair is the focal point. I think these things are really cool. That chair just really pops when you see it in person.
Venice
Cropped.
You can highlight what you want to like that great arches bridge.
Provence
This one was not cropped.
My value sketch. Now to try to do this on my own before I forget how. So little time and so much to do.
Margaret putting her feet up for now. Xoxoxo
Twins My fav pic of the jays. There are up to four at a time on the porch.
Today was the day. You know when u like to draw birds any bird will do. 
Vultures aka Buzzards hold still longer as they either eat or HOPE to get a turn at dinner.
I do intend to draw this blue jay but wanted to do that in my new sketchbook not last page in the old one. Another 90 plus pages done. Didn’t want to stick this blue boy on the last one. I do think jays are so pretty. I have been hand feeding them all week. They won’t go to the feeder. Instead they eat off the porch rails. Three of them show up every day to check the offerings. 
One sliced and in the freezer the other on its way as soon as it’s cool. Shouldn’t be making white bread but it’s sooo good. My grandson Henry asked me to mail him some. I would if it would get there fresh but it won’t.
You can catch a class with her next weekend July 18 with Sketchbookskool.com/workshops
I used gel pens because I had bought some a while back from amazon to use for Vlads class.
The prince is done with Pentel gel pens primarily orange white navy and a fav of purple and gold plus a fine sepia Pitt pen and a red Academy pilot pen. No red gel pen. Done in my Stillman and Birn Alpha. One more page!!! Wooohooo. New one waiting.
Easier sometimes to just have a do over. Too many muddy colors on the bottom. 
Right now I am blaming the new Lukas paints I bought but Vlad doesn’t get them when he uses them so hmm. 
Read they have a lot of white added to them and that kind of color will mud easily.
Anyway back to my knitting. My mile long scarf is growing. Just what one needs in summer right?! Oh well as they say winter is coming.
