Pre-planning and Values

Knowing where your darkest darks and lightest lights will go is an essential step in getting a painting that "reads."  The shapes will be easier to paint if they are clearly stated in your value sketch.  In this case the dark trees do not need to be individually created, but are suggested at the edge of the shape so I could make a good shape which interlocks with its background.  The dark also sets off the focal area around the barn.  Painting them first allowed me to key the value of the barn and its shadows and to keep them light enough . 

Study the dark tree shape also for color changes.  The trees are dark, but I was still able to change colors to provide interest.  A mixture of warm and cool darks mixed on the page provides an entertaining shape. 

Doing the work of making a value sketch makes painting quicker and therefore, I hope, fresher.