Value Study for Watercolor - Lesson from Andy Evansen

[@julianneboger3688]

I appreciate you calm, logical and methodical approach to painting. I started painting 66 days ago when sheltering in place was mandated. I have watched many, many videos on You Tube. They would show how to paint something (a flower or bird) but, not how to go about painting a picture. With your methodology, I understand the order of doing things and the process of how to do it. I love the format of talking us through the what we are going to do and then demonstrating how to do it. I feel confident and started to paint pictures because of your gentle encouragement. Thank you for sharing with us your knowledge and skill in watercolor. But most of all, thank you for your open heart and kind spirit.

[@emilysha418]

I second this!

[@Ajm51420]

Ł

[@Cafewatercolor]

I'm not going to lie, I worked on this video till 3am this morning... and now I'm back at my day job 😅 I hope you enjoy this video! Give it some love 😉 Tell me what's your biggest takeaway with this video.

[@user-nn6hq3ye2p]

辛苦了 从您的视频里我学到了非常多！

[@kevintwohig377]

Thanks for sharing your experience and your wonderful talent regards from New Zealand

[@barbaragemin5117]

Joining shapes!!

[@frontierdragon]

Your effort highly appreciated. Respect n love from Pakistan

[@barbaracuddyfarren7440]

I always do value studies... Helps solve the problem before you paint. I think I picked it up from a Charles Reid book. Sometimes the study is better than the finished piece. Thank you for sharing so generously Eric, this is time consuming but it's so appreciated. Love your paintings too, stay safe. 🙏😀

[@juliadean2473]

I'm soo pleased to see you back with us. ❤❤❤❤

[@juliadean2473]

Thank you. Learning my palette and having my washes prepared and generally being more organised seems needs to be my priority for now. ❤

[@cherylj.harris4967]

Thank you. The biggest takeaway for me is seeing the photo differently. I'm a detail painter and often get lost in them. Seeing and connecting the big shape is a game change and really makes so much sense. I can't wait to give it a try.

[@sylvia4425]

*I'm impressed with what I learned from you, Eric! Thank you! I could not subscribe fast enough after the first few minutes of watching this!!!!!! A million thumbs up!!!!!* 👍

[@timeenuf4200]

As a beginner I really learn a lot from your videos. This was amazing and enlightening. Thank you for being so generous with your time, talent and inspiration.

[@gingerbuchanan2795]

You are a great teacher. Thank you for sharing these great tips. The scene you've painted turned out very nicely.

[@adamsaoud7191]

i know its big word but u are great teacher because that what real teachers do tell their students every secret

[@fatoomgierdien2181]

Thank YOU for a Great video. Your teachings are Phenomenal. From Cape Town.

[@idir6598]

My favorite water color artist

[@stephaniedescoteaux4759]

It really shows that you learned from Andy. The lessons weren't lost on you. I've watched his videos before and you have it exactly. Thank you for your hard work and really great lessons. The painting is a success. Bravo!

[@tiklingrikit]

anazing! deconstructing a painting using values, shapes and lines.

[@royalspud3926]

I appreciate the tribes ascend reference, rest in peace. What a great game.

[@brendalazellestephenson2319]

I agree with admiring both andy and Joseph. I will look you up on my laptop

[@lhouchin2157]

Thank you for sharing, this video taught me excellent steps to making a pleasing painting. Connecting, shape, value studies and simplify. You explain and teach so humbly, yet with knowledge, and example that it is a JOY to learn from you. My heartfelt thanks.

[@BarbrajoanOriginals]

Eric, by now I've watched almost all of your videos... I learn so much from you even though I've painted for a long time.. we can always learn more. You have a way of explaining that is so easy. As for Andy's way of painting, it's certainly wonderful, and I can see you taking some of it to your own work. But I for one don't want to see you change. Thank you for staying up so late to put this out.. and yes I give it some love.

[@Cafewatercolor]

Thank you Barbra. I think artist evolved their work as they progress. But of course, I won’t just all the sudden change everything that I do. My goal is to eventually develop my style as I learn from the artists I like. Glad you enjoy my video ☺️

[@InspireHealthSystem]

Very helpful tips, thank you so much for sharing! 🙂❤

[@marynelson1349]

Thank you

[@kbatwe55]

This technique is extraordinary and very useful.

[@kindsprite4853]

What a marvelous tutorial. Great, big forms are a great opening for me

[@davidtrujillo993]

Andy is amazing. His paintings are so simple but yet impossible for me to take my eyes from them.

[@andrecardon2141]

I think a good way to go away of seduction of Andy paintings is to do a methodical approach as Mr Eric Li Yin does in order to approach the aesthetic you like.

[@SandBox830]

Everybody has their way of doing things. I studied AE and his technique for a long time...and after doing several value studies and paintings...I went back to my own technique. I don't like drawing two paintings of the same thing, and painting twice. I didn't see that that technique improved my paintings..it just made a lot more work for me. i just take a photo, use the Notanizer app and print out the B/W version on the printer...takes about a minute. In fact Andy's method of painting the value study only uses ONE gray color for the whole thing...when in reality there are several gray values that you can see using the app. (light, medium, dark)...and that helps me more than just one big gray value study...just my two cents. Andy is a great artist for sure.

[@Cafewatercolor]

personally, I think that's what makes his work good, he's simplicity approach to value and shape. But you should definitely work the way you want to. I probably won't do this for all of my paintings as well. But it is something I want to incorporate in my work :)

[@bleuvertetforetdepin7308]

this is a very powerfull method , simple enough to be explain in minutes , but deep enough to be enjoyed and master through a lifetime . thanks for sharing .

[@ft_ph]

This is so helpful and the problems i am experiencing with value were covered. Thanks so much!❤

[@doyoubinoame8483]

Absolutely brilliant tutorial which shows how to apply value study to final art piece in observable way.

[@jjoy2866]

That was so insightful Thankyou so much. Excellent demonstration 👏👍🎨🖌

[@maynahho3370]

Eric, you did it again!! Thank you so much for sharing this useful tip!! It’ll help me plan and compose my painting. I’ve made great improvements after attending your online course. Your KZbin courses are gems too!!

[@Cafewatercolor]

Thank you May Nah! So good to hear from you again! I enjoy your Chinese painting, and I still think you should incorporate those into your watercolor ☺️☺️

[@Snailords]

Thank you for these helpful tips

[@momijiyamanishi4548]

I like the glaze at the end. It totally changed the whole look.

[@duanecormier45]

Thank you Eric!!

[@DavidMiltonJones]

Great demo, thanks Eric. Now I finally understand value studies!

[@Cafewatercolor]

This is an old video which I'm still trying to practice value study. I'm getting better now 😁

[@sandrablanchard9865]

You are a very thorough teacher. I appreciate your methodical and kind way of teaching. Thank you for helping me stay focused on my art thru these trying times.

[@barbaramartenson7814]

Eric, I enjoy watching your watercolor painting tips and examples. I ALSO love Andy and Joseph - two amazing artists. Perhaps the greatest challenge is learning how to "see" - what my own artist father emphasized. Keep up the great information.

[@robhead22]

Wonderful lesson. Thank you!

[@geraldquintana9624]

I think you are so humble and all your selc assessment reeks of humility. We learn from the little things, right. Carry on, master. I am learning more from youf sessions on KZbin !! Thank you Watercolor Cafe 😇😇😇😁

[@Wendy8888]

Thank you for this useful demo.

[@sandraflieger6001]

Thank you for sharing your experiences from the workshop. This tutorial was very helpful.

[@DarbyandGill]

A friend of mine always encourages joining shapes and I 'got' what they were saying but this video really made me understand much better. Thank you for working on this and sharing this information, I'm going to really try to apply to my work.

[@Cafewatercolor]

So glad it’s helpful for you ☺️

[@dinesaan]

I felt this very useful to develop my water color skils...thank you..very much

[@mssmiley5691]

Great tips, Eric! If I can connect shapes by values, my paintings will be much less “rigid”, like they often are. Also, great tip on keeping your pencil on the paper when drawing. I tend to get lost when drawing something with detail because I pick up my pencil too often. And Simplify! Best tip ever. Thanks for a great lesson!

[@paulbarnes6049]

Thank you Eric, I have just discovered your videos. I am delighted with the clear and concise instructions that you provide. The most useful tips in this video I think are the value study first, and then connection of the major shapes. Those are my two big takeaways. Now I must put these into practice. Thank you again.

[@fluximagery6500]

wow!!! stunning!!!!!!

[@skillsunlimitedbyprescyg.t7503]

You're a handsome artist sharing generously your talent. You're not only a good teacher but have a mastery of your subject with a soothing tonal voice that will attract other artist. Kudos, Eric!

[@Cafewatercolor]

Aww thank you 🥰

[@bhavnashah2955]

You are a super teacher,many thanks

[@koaungkyawlatt5222]

Thanks you Eric. I love your lessons. Very simple and clear.

[@abby-fichtner]

wow, SO helpful! Thank you so much!

[@danilodonato8401]

You always arrive at the right time and teach me what I need to go on in my experiments. Thank you Eric so much. It is up to me to try to learn...

[@Cafewatercolor]

You can do it Danilo! :)

[@Delta20101]

Greetings from Sydney Australia, as soon as woke up the first thing I watched was your teaching. Thank you. I love watercolour painting but still hard for me to learn. I say to myself keep watching and practicing. Thank you.

[@danthomas6587]

One of the books Andy recommended that I found really helpful was Painting Light and Shadow in Watercolor. I bought a used copy off Amazon for like $10 but I think every WC painter should read it. It really helped simplify the process for me. The author is William Lawrence. Good vid Eric. I'm a big fan of your channel and also Andy Evansen's art.

[@discoverer7175]

Dan, you’re so lucky. The book recommended is completely sold out in Amazon and resales start from $40 plus. Let me know if you wish to sell yours!

[@danthomas6587]

@@discoverer7175 I'll keep an eye out for you. I looked on ebay as well. Not much cheaper.

[@dianecharest8365]

Wow! It looks like looking at the scene. Another beautiful painting Eric. Thank you.

[@frankzhao1472]

Thanks for the excellent demo and sharing the study as well as the sumarized ideas from Andy Evansen's workshop!

[@susanshisler7074]

I've seen an Andy Evansen demo on the Artefacto platform and it was transformative for me, having just been painting for 6 months. THANK YOU for this video which demonstrated this technique, I'd love to see more videos like this so that I can paint along. Very professional video and I will definitely be checking your channel regularly.

[@Zenon-fg4dw]

What a great tutorial. Thank you!

[@hdwalters65]

Eric, I continue to enjoy your instruction videos. I must give you thanks for introducing me to Andy Evansen the artist and his instruction. Your videos are always honest and straight forward in their message. Wishing you much success.

[@jackiebyers1272]

SO informative! It's like making a notan. I'd never heard of a notan until I took a class in soft pastels last year. It's amazing how much it simplifies a painting once you wrap your head around that "map!"

[@katerinakreutzerart6541]

Thank you! it was a great example i enjoyed the whole process!

[@regig.9493]

I tend to roll a kneadable eraser over the drawing before I start painting without applying much pressure. It picks up any loose graphite but doesn't affect the pencil marks much and it stops the smearing.

[@ARQOSA]

Eric, maravilloso video me ha aclarado mucho el proceso de la acuarela, siempre veo sus videos y admiro sus acuarelas. Andy también es maravilloso con su estilo !! Saludes desde Costa Rica !!

[@dianec4356]

I really learned a lot! It’s easy understanding, precise, just right length of timing! You have brought smiles and inspiration to continue handling watercolor technique which has given me frustration at times. Thanks for sharing your hardwork! Please bring us more and more, enjoy watching every steps, every word you do you said appreciate lots!

[@Its_Jess00]

Wow 🤩 just wow

[@annikaglavstedt5588]

Beautiful! And so important to exercise :-)

[@swethakalluri2205]

I'm sure this is going to be hard to learn, Thanks for fabulously teaching, so clearly explained. I will surely try to implement right away. FABULOUS 👌

[@GierJoost]

2:56 as a halfass good I think your are more than half as good.Great tutorial.

[@mmaneevone]

Always enjoy learning from you. Great teacher.

[@itticheriajoshua6891]

Excellent Eric

[@maliequizhu6614]

Love this very helpful class!💕💕💕 value study is a very good idea before the formal painting! 👍👍👍Thanks Eric for this wonderful tutorial! 👏👏👏 I love Andy’s watercolor painting too! 💕💕💕

[@nancylanoue23]

Thanks,, Eric! Andy is an artist I follow and I took his Zoom class. You did a fantastic job of recapping his demos. Very helpful refresher- Notes can't bring it all back.

[@nicks931]

Awesome vid and info as always. Thanks. Tip: If you scuff up that pretty new JP palette with a magic eraser or scouring powder, etc, your puddles won't shatter.

[@Cafewatercolor]

Thanks! I’ll give it a try :)

[@roxannenaydan5362]

I loved seeing both the value and color demos! It made the process much clearer! I have trouble mixing the correct values for the 3 steps in the color version. I can't seem to judge how light/dark tones are. Maybe you've already covered this in a previous lesson, so I will check. ... Thanks so much! You're a very good teacher!!

[@chrissyd1895]

Thank you SO much!

[@andrewvelichko7185]

That was the best learning experience that I have ever seen on how to use value studies in completing a watercolor painting. Bravo. Well done. By the way, I'm in my late 80's and recently got back to pen and ink sketching and watercolors. I love Urban Sketching, but eye issues-macular degeneration- are a challenge to all my efforts.

[@virginiarinkel7544]

I love the word "simplify" you use.

[@momijiyamanishi4548]

Chronologically, I think that this of your videos, would be very best at the beginning stages of like my learning process.

[@karennaturallyartby]

This is very essential information that most watercolor videos on yt don’t provide. Most excellent! Thanks Eric!!

[@MichaelJCahill]

Eric, I've only just discovered your videos and am so grateful for your clear, concise and illuminating tutorials. I was a very good sketch artist 40 years ago but set it aside to become a photographer. I've now recommitted myself take up sketching again and learn watercolor work. Your videos have arrived in my life at the perfect time. Thank you so much for the detailed explanations and examples. You're videos are far superior to many others I've watched and the quality of your instruction is comprehensive without overloading me on tiny details. Can you recommend any videos that focus on how to mix pigments on the palette to achieve just the right color? Also how not to make a color too dense or too transparent? Thank you again and keep those videos coming. I am a video producer and you do some really fine work. Cheers.

[@discoverer7175]

Very helpful tutorial. Eric shares his thoughts throughout the painting process and that’s invaluable! Thanks, Eric.

[@robertafricano1548]

perfect teaching method. Well structured lessons that allow me an appropriate approach to watercolour technique ; I raise my motivation by watching at your videos. Thank You :)

[@rolanda.arriagaarchitect3566]

Watching your videos has helped me improved my watercolor paintings. Thanks!!!

[@RobertHopkinsArt]

Great, great video, Eric! Going to your workshop with Andy really paid off for "us". It dawned on me last night, after messing up a simple Chien landscape that I needed to go back to the basics of a large shape, three basic values in my painting (Light -> Middle -> Dark, with details), pre-mix each wash, and "always" do a complete value study. I don't need to do no stinking value study... Wrong! Even the Masters blow through some extra paper by drawing/painting a value study to read their current subject. I now know why I failed in my latest painting. Thanks for this video, Eric!

[@mariajosegimenez2296]

Great work. Thank you very much

[@Nancy-pf6ft]

Great video. My takeaways were: find the big shape, and understanding and seeing the mid tones and treating them separately. Thanks-and get a full night’s sleep tonight!😴

[@Cafewatercolor]

Thanks 😊 I had some good sleep haha

[@Sidweddingphotos07]

beautifully done and such sincere effort from your side for your viewers to learn from your work

[@luckyloupro]

Excellent!!!

[@Jorofier]

That was really interesting to watch. I am going to use the value tecnique to simplify my paintings. I am very much a beginner so simplicity really does it for me. Great video. Thanks for sharing. :)

[@barbaramunford5472]

I see what you mean by finding and painting a big shape. Ties everything together so nicely. Also need to dig out my John Pike palette! I love that palette....I only stopped using it because my painting space has gotten smaller.

[@karinmitschang9734]

Thanks for sharing this 🙏🤗

[@barbaragemin5117]

I've heard of connecting shapes so many times but this time, you beat it into me Eric! Thank you, especially as I watched this today after a VERY unsatisfactory painting ( ripped up and binned) never mind. On we go. Hahah. Just seen your comment. As I said, SHAPES-an important message.

[@Bolinhadeacucar]

Just discovered you two days ago, already a big fan. I am a beginner "in the begining" and I am sure I will learn a lot with you... Thank you for your amazing lessons.

[@frenchgrama]

Hi Eric - I loved this!!!!! I’m sooo glad you worked from value study to colour painting, this is such a valuable learning tool which helps to simplify the painting process - and I love how you went into detail about connecting shapes - I love Andy Evansen’s way of teaching too, lucky you for being able to go to his workshop.... I live in Australia and if it’s impossible to get into one of Joseph Zbukvic’s workshops here then my chances are pretty slim of getting to America for one of Andy’s workshops. You must’ve been pretty excited to get this video out to have stayed up so late... thanks, I really appreciate your efforts.

[@gary7466]

You're doing a great job, Eric. Your videos are excellent, and I particularly enjoyed this latest effort which is actually not just informative, but also shows how you yourself are growing and learning. Your commentary is right on and keeps the viewer interested, the pacing is just right. I thought 30 minutes would be too long, but it held my attention to the end and that is some achievement. Well done. Perfect follow up from your interview with Andy Evanson.

[@Cafewatercolor]

Thank you so much, glad you enjoy it!

[@reenadatta910]

Thank you for sharing this with us! It’s very helpful

[@brucenunn3268]

What a Game Changer..!! Thank You for Sharing..!! Subscribed..!! 👊😎

[@fatoomgierdien2181]

Great minds do think alike! Thank YOU 😊

[@patytrico]

I am learning to plan my drawings and paintings (still are more like sketches that actual paintings, but at least I am creating ;D). The idea of "connect", to learn to use a "notan" is a powerful tool. Thank you for the class and for share your process.

[@chadconway5038]

Awesome video. Thank you

[@ahmedelmansory8672]

Thanks Eric. A really enjoyable demo. Greetings from Egypt 🇪🇬 with love

[@carolmarshall7054]

Very interesting... I like “our” new method! Thanks Eric!!

[@amandafang5833]

Thanks a lot for your sharing, Eric. Your tone of description is full of the deep and contemplative reflection. I love this way of inside-out expression. I am grateful to meet you at my begining stage of watercolor painting. all the best! Greetings from Potsdam in Germany~

[@zaldum386]

Eres el mejor, y punto!!!

[@narsimhachary5056]

Really very interesting you are class sir..... Thank you very much Thank you..........Thank you.... I try it...