Episode 146: The #1 Painting Mistake: Choosing Color Over Value

If your paintings feel flat, it's not your color. It's your values. And this mistake is keeping your art stuck.

Let's have a little heart-to-heart, artist to artist.

If you've ever stood in front of a painting thinking, "Something's off … maybe it's the color," you are not alone. In fact, it's one of the most common traps artists fall into.

But here's the truth most people aren't talking about.

Your brain doesn't even prioritize color first. It prioritizes value, the lightness and darkness of what you're seeing.

So when your entire painting lives in that safe, middle-value zone, it doesn't matter how beautiful your colors are if there's no contrast, no focal point, no visual tension.

In this episode, I break down exactly why this happens and how to fix it fast.

Here's what you'll walk away with:

• Why focusing on color first is keeping your art from leveling up

• How to quickly check your values using simple tools

• What to do to create depth, contrast, and a clear focal point

Make sure to subscribe to this podcast so you don't miss a thing! And don't forget to come hang with me on Instagram @jodie_king_.

Interested in being a guest on a future episode of Honest Art®? Email me at [email protected]!

Resources mentioned:

• Ready to push your work to Fine Art status? Join me at one of my Honest Art® Workshops

• Ready to make your best art ever, alongside an incredible community of artists? Join us inside the Honest Art Society today!

• Want to dive even deeper into colors and values? Enroll in The Color Course for Rebels

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• Watch this full episode on my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMquJfuMsSg0fr46BRdia1cWd-81GThzF

• For a full list of show notes and links, check out my blog: www.jodieking.com/podcast