Passages of Value

B&W Challenge Day 4: today I decided to photograph the painting I'm working on and show the passages of value. Turns out that isn't really easy to do. The values come out different from the original in a black and white version of a color photograph. I fiddled a bit trying to get the sense of value passage that the painting has. I got closer but not really quite there. You can look more closely at the large version.

So what are passages? They are shapes of dark and light values that move through a work of art. In this painting I want the focus to be on the face and hands so those area are lighter and brighter than the rest of the painting. I also want the blue hair to stand out so that is also in the lighter value passage, at least parts of the hair are. This is especially true of the area to the right of her face. The idea is to pull the eye into the face and then down to the hands and circle back up via the blue hair and bright hat band and flower right back around to the face.

In a color painting you look at value by squinting your eyes. Then you can see what is dark and what is light. This has nothing to do with color and everything to do with dark and lightness. Here is the color version. Try squinting and looking at the color version. That should make it clear where the dark and light passages are.

Today was another busy day. We went to Arvin's doctor for some paperwork including a POLST for our refrigerator. I did mine a week or two ago. This is a document created by you with your doctor with directions for what to do if your heart stops and you are not breathing. EMT folks are supposed to follow what you wish. Neither one of us wants to be resuscitated if we are without heartbeat or pulse. The success rate is very low and brain damage is sometimes the result.

Then we went to the Alzheimer's Society of Washington support group. There are two groups, one for people with memory issues and one for care givers. I really like this group and have found it to be very helpful when I needed support. Right now things are going well so I am more a supporter than receiver of support. It is good to be able to help the rest of the folks. My turn will come again I am sure.