How do you meassure value/color ?

[Marvin Mattelson]

I don't know what the point is to learning tricks. It can create a crutch. I think the point is to find the best way to train ones eyes to see color values accurately.

I find that premixing my paint values on my palette, gives me consistent points of reference to relate to, so that the estimating of values in the scene before me becomes more logical and far less hit or miss. More often than not, the range of values that the eye perceives will exceed the value range available in paint. Merely coping what's in front of you makes it impossible to capture the essence of the value relationships in nature.