June Forum Challenge......monochrome

Brilliant tonal values , doesn’t look like you need to practice, this is fab .

I think tonal values are the very essence of a good painting and used to produce black and white photos of my paintings in order to check that tone values were correct. If it carries in black and white then colour becomes a lesser factor to worry about. No problems here Fiona

What beautiful harmonising tones so soft Fiona, a very interesting scene also.

I wrote a feature a while back for the e-newsletter titled ' The importance of tonal values ', obviously demonstrated with stages of constructing a painting. You've made a good job here Fiona, it is such an important factor - I've still got to have a go at this challenge, busy with oils at present.

Great tonal work Fiona we should all do more studies like this what a good idea for a challenge. When I teach basic watercolour I always do a tonal exercise in ultramarine or sepia but don’t do it often enough myself.

Nice fiona, I do alot of notan sketches as prep for paintings they're great and essential really help in composition too. Where's the little man though? Lol😁

Very very good Fiona. Good foreground tree with the dark Bush/tree behind.

Excellent variation in tones Fiona. I tried a landscape in payne's grey , failed miserably, ended up just too dark!

Sharon thank you. I should take more time to do this before every painting.....I don’t know how many times I tell myself that! Thank you Michael.....it’s your two Jackdaws, they are conspiring against you! Very kind Mike thanks very much. Thank you Carole, much appreciated. I remember reading it Alan, very good article. Thank you I know what you mean Barry, good intentions and all that. Thanks very much for your comment. You do it the right way then Alan, I admit, I’m lazy in that department...can’t wait to get stuck in, then wonder why it’s rubbish.....lol. You’ve missed him, he’s just gone round the bend! Thanks Richard, have you done one yet?! Val thank you.....grey is a difficult one, I prefer blue to be honest but thought I would give the grey a try.

A really good composition Fiona. I noticed it on Facebook first, chosen on the Painters online page, and ‘liked’ it of course.

Looks good to me also Fiona, I am quite fond of Payne's grey for tonal work but I also use various Blues and Sepia which seems to work well for me.

Lol....thank you Michael. I’m not on Facebook but Julian mentioned he had seen it....hope he said something nice! Thanks very much David, yes I like using blues. I like to use Payne’s grey with light red or burnt sienna in skies, I like the look of it together.

Lovely tones, Fiona.

Thank you for commenting Ellen.

Oooh, that is beautiful, Fiona!

Thank you Margaret!

Nicely done Fiona

Great depth and love the trees and the woods to the right sharp against the hills.Are you busy doing other crafts , Fiona? Hope you are ok.

Hi Annick, many thanks for your comment and enquiry, very kind of you. I’m very well thank you, very busy, I just haven’t had the time to contribute to the gallery....with work or comments. I hope I haven’t missed too many of your paintings! I have a very large garden which I love doing but takes up a lot of my time, I grow all my own veg and fruit as well. I’m in the middle of re-landscaping part of the garden and I think I may have bitten off more that I can chew....lol. I have been doing a bit of art, mainly printing but just messing about really, also making a few more of my metalwork sculptures. I get a bit obsessed with my garden....lol. Thanks again for getting touch, I will be back soon...I hope!

Hi, Fiona, nice to know you are all right and very busy with different hobbies, I made a wire metal sculpture a while ago , a hare on a piece of driftwood.Not bad for a first attempt.I have an allotment and that keeps me busy as well. Gardening is very rewarding. Enjoy yourself, Fiona.

Love the lead in lines, and your skill in creating depth with all the different tones.

Thank you very much for your comment Judith.