Value Misconceptions & more – Ep.11 Oil Painting Q&A with Mark Carder

If you have a question for me, post it in the comments below. I'll answer as many as I can on next Thursday's episode. Here are links to each question answered in this video:

00:04 — a lesson about misconceptions about value in paintings, specifically the overall "exposure" and what happens to colors that are "overexposed"

15:45 — Do you feel that artists like Sargent and Repin, who painted quite loose, worked more rapidly than you?

19:01 — I paint full-time and have pain and swelling in my hand after long days of work. This this normal? Do you have any tips on how to avoid this?

20:31 — Have you found a certain size painting sells better than another? Do galleries tend to prefer larger pieces to showcase?

21:57 — My studio has a very low ceiling, so my light is coming from behind my right shoulder. What do you suggest?

22:38 — What are your thoughts about color charts? Are they really useful or can I match my color by using just the color checker?

[lizday]

I know you posted this five years ago, but this was extremely helpful to me today. Thank you.

[billjoanitis]

A statement if I may ; I think you help people more then you realize. Your use of a pulley system when you damaged your shoulder was excellent. I also damaged my shoulder, the pain was very bad, I used a brace from the floor to support my arm, did not work that well, . Hopefully I'll not need it again, your idea would have saved me a lot of pain. I had a commission to finish so waiting to heal was out of the question . With your vast audience I would think there's someone who can use your idea. Thanks

[oorakoora]

Mark - i have watched all of your videos and also pulled as much info from every available source - and i have to say that that what you impart is quite unique, fulsome and delivered in a thorough forthright and unpretentious manner. please accept my thanks - and please keep it coming!

[HiThereImFootloose]

This is really awesome. Thank you for taking the time to sample all of the different spots to demonstrate.

[rajmaharjan]

24 people couldn't afford Geneva paint. This guy has taught me more than my professors! People tend to take things for granted. Peace!

[misterbonzoid]

My go-to online painting teacher. Thank you for making these videos.

[Foervraengd]

thank god finally an oil painting video that isn't clickbait junk like most of the stuff is uploaded nowadays.

[divchiefut]

Color, color balance. perception and lighting are all so highly variable that it is impossible to define a "correct" combination. Mark's instruction to watch this vid in full screen is a small example. The color and tone of the area surrounding any picture/photo/painting/space can greatly effect its appearance. Light intensity and color balance and even direction add more variables. Etc., Consider how art was lit prior to the invention of the incandescent bulb. Candles, oil lamps and sunlight come to mind. This is a complex subject and thanks Mark for bringing it up, and thanks for all the other awesome inspiring videos!

[danahcox]

As someone whose vocation involves teaching people, though not necessarily painting, the way you present things are incredibly helpful. Several people below commented on this, but I just want to reiterate that I think that what you are doing is having such a positive effect for so many people. It certainly is for me, and i hope you realize this...looking forward to future videos!

[TheCamillajmarchi]

Thanks so much for your time and experience I live a small town not available to much in a way of workshops you have been a great help!!

[wishccr]

I posted this on another Draw Mix Paintr video, but I wanted to post here, too, because watching this video helped me so much, and Mr. Carder is right, value is so important: I’m getting back to oil painting after a long hiatus. I took some lessons from a local amateur artist and came away very frustrated. I had so many colors on my palette that I was confused and my paintings looked garish. After watching the videos about using a limited palette and following the steps to create the value steps for a painting, my painting improved immediately. The colors look more natural, and it was much more fun to lay the colors down on the canvas. Thank you, Mr. Carder.

[alanchapman]

Not a question, just a word of appreciation, there is always something of interest and value, and I think it is brilliant that you do this, so thank you.

[venetiancat]

MASSIVELY helpful. I always struggled with value, and watching your videos, and learning to not only use a color checker, but to know how the same color looks different depending on the surrounding color, just WOW! Saved me HOURS of frustration, just by understanding the concept technically. I always tended to make the photos that I worked from TOO BRIGHT and didn't realize it. Going dark, and THEN light makes such a big difference, WHO KNEW, LOL! I've been painting most of my life (I'm 57) and I'm learning more from YouTube and your videos than I EVER did in art school! Thank you Mr. Carder!

[lacasa]

Great tutorial on overexposure and loss of color. Rushmore rules! Thanks again for being a truly excellent teacher, for free. You are the best, Mark.

[greenatom]

Great episode! I so admire anyone who is a great explainer. The use of the Wes Anderson frames was very revealing -- simple and concise. And I liked the story about the milk jug & pulley system, a good practical solution.

[allfalledout]

You are a genuinely knowledgeable and learned teacher, I am now beginning to understand the entire art process so much better and in a vividly easy to paint from now on kind of way. Thank you :)

[karinjeffrey]

Thank you Mark for this video. As always, your explanations are both common sense and a revelation.

[carlosmachado]

Excellent Probably the best commentary on value I've seen. Your examples on exposures is spot on.

[stephentaylor]

Nuff respect bossman i just love how you take the time to explain things so clearly.LOVE your videos many thanks for sharing.

[beautifulsummer]

Hi Mark, John Singer Sargent is spoken of throughout the lectures by Paul Ingbretson, a teacher of the Boston School of Painting. I think if you google him and take a listen, you may find him facinating. He is old school, and teaches painting at his atelier in New England that I had attended for four years. He comes to us as a student of Gamel. In his 'Talks about painting #5, he mentions Sargents watercolor technique. If you haven't discovered him yet, I hope you enjoy what you find. And thank you for all of your wonderful instruction.