Manon Sander

I'm a firm believer in creating a quick value plan before starting a painting to simplify complex subject matter, to come up with a pleasing composition, and to end up with a painting that is filled with light. Usually, I limit myself to 4 values. I use value markers in light, medium, dark, and white to create my 4th value, grouping value masses. I aim to keep the values of anything in the light lighter than anything in the shadow and vice versa, which is the key to making a painting appear light-filled. Moving on to my actual painting, I stick with the value foundation of my little thumbnail because if it works on a little 2-inch study, it will work on a larger painting as well.