If you want to create art you need to decide what kind of artist you want to be. For me, Impressionism to Realism is the most intriguing. To be one of these artists you have to understand Form.

My definition of Form is the artist's ability to create the illusion of a three - dimensional object on a two - dimensional surface. For example, the illusion of a face(3D) on a canvas(2D). 

The only way paint Form is to apply paints of differing Values. 

The idea of Value is the each color has an identity that registers on the Light - Dark spectrum. The lightest light color is a 10, in this metric, and the darkest dark is a zero. The middle value is a 5. 

Hence, for artists, the idea of Values is the application of paint that appears to be in the light, middle and dark to delineate light tones, mid-tones, and shadow tones of an object, therefore giving the perception of a three - dimensional object.  By skillfully rendering light, mid-tone and shadow, artists can make flat surfaces appear rounded and solid. 

Gradations of Value create the illusion of depth, making it visually engaging and believable. 

This is why Rembrandt, Titian, and John Singer Sargent were so effective as storytellers. The better they painted Form, due to proper use of Values, the greater the impact the image has on the viewer. 

I just published a Newsletter on this subject. I am also creating video classes and workshops around this subject. To stay informed follow my Newsletter and or connect via email( [email protected] ) or social media, like Instagram( @nathaniel.skousen.art ).  This simple idea can have an enormous impact on your artwork, as it did mine.

Here is the Summation of an nascent Artist to being loved by piers and viewers:

Artist -> Impressionist to Realist Artist -> Idea -> Necessity of Form -> use of Values to create Form-> Viewer perceives Skill -> Artist Receives Positive Feedback.

Do you think these ideas are interesting and relevant? Let me know.

Nathaniel Skousen

The Munsell color system is on my mind in every time I view museum artwork and or paint on my artwork. Why is that? Because it takes emotion out of color usage, which allows you to use emotion when you need it. 

Here's some basic information on the Munsell color system and how it can help you as an artist:

The Munsell color system is a way of describing and specifying colors based on three dimensions: hue, value, and chroma. It was created in the early 1900s by Professor Albert H. Munsell.

Hue refers to the name of the color in the visible spectrum, such as red, yellow, green, blue, purple, etc.

Value describes lightness or darkness of a color on a scale from white to black.

Chroma refers to the purity, saturation, or intensity of a color from neutral gray to vivid color.

By specifying a color in terms of these three properties, the Munsell system allows very precise color communication and replication. This makes it extremely useful for artists in several ways:

• Color Matching - Artists can precisely specify colors needed for a painting using Munsell notations rather than vague descriptions like "dark blue." This ensures accurate color mixing, matching, and tubing of paints.
• Visualizing Color Relationships - The cylindrical Munsell color tree allows artists to easily visualize and understand relationships between colors based on hue, value, and chroma. This helps with color theory and harmonious color choices.
• Systematic Color Studies - The logical structure of Munsell allows understanding of 'art school' terms that describe color interactions like shades, tints, tones, complements, etc. This builds color expertise and understanding of these 'terms.'
• Consistent Color - Using Munsell takes subjectivity out of color descriptions. Artists can reliably reproduce exact colors leading to color consistency across a body of work.
• Color Location- Using Munsell notation creates an idea of where an artist is located in color space. This benefits the artist to understand where they are at, and where they can go. This idea maximizes artistic color strategies.

I am making a comprehensive video about Munsell color notation and how to incorporate it into your artistic studio -- while keeping the ideas very simple.

If there is an area of color notation and the Munsell color system that you are interested in please let me know. 

Nathaniel