Consider doing a value study of a composition before you begin a project. When you look at a painting without colour, it is far easier to see the flow of darks and lights and to achieve a sense of balance. You can also check to see is your painting will be too light overall or too dark. I would like to pass on a great tip that I heard for solving problems in a painting you are having trouble with: When you painting is dry, cover it with a piece of clear plastic wrap. Tape it down so it won’t slide and then match the painting underneath with the relative values using black, grey and white. When you pull the plastic off, you will have an accurate greyscale value study of your painting. You will then be able to see problem areas that are too light or dark, or places where the contrast is not strong enough. Try it some time, even for fun! It is a great exercise to help you see differently. When we paint with colour, it is often hard to see the values- lightness or darkness.

Tip: If you are computer savvy, try taking a digital photo of your painting and then rendering it as a grey scale.