The DARK SIDE......

Doorway in Venice

ADVANCED TIP:
One of the important concepts of painting is that the tones and colors in the shadows are not ever found in the light... seems quite obvious, doesn't it? BUT... it is the #1 challenge! The blue door has a very sharp division of both light and shade and the various blues. The blue colors in the shadows will NEVER, EVER appear in the light side- they will ALWAYS BE DARKER. The blues in the light will never appear in the shadows. It is the same for the rocks....

• When we look at anything in a serious way- our eyes adjust and what is in the dark side appears to be lighter than it really is. Yes, another occasion not to trust what you think you see!
• This is true when looking at photographs or from life.
• Glancing at your reference, instead of starring at it, will keep you eye from overcompensating for this effect.
• Step back and squint- most values that are out of place will pop out at you.
• Use red cellophane to look through and compare the values of both your painting and your reference at the same time.
• When applying color, separate them on your palette- have a dark side and a light side and premix your colors. 
• Hold your brush up to your reference for a quick way of color matching.

" The lightest dark in the shadow side is always darker then the darkest light on the light side"