Tonal value ranges

This is the reference photo that i used for my paintings. I mapped out the middle, fore, and backgrounds so that it would be easier to put my tones in when painting.

I created this piece using the theory that the values in the image get lighter as they reach the background. I kept the background scale very short with only three values and had the foreground section with the biggest range. I really liked this method of painting- making the background the lightest values gave an almost foggy effect to the painting as well as giving it depth which i really like. I did however, struggle to get all of the detail in on the background with such a small range of tones so this is perhaps something i could experiment with moving forward.

 

For this painting, i kept the same range of values (smaller amount in the back, more towards the front) but changed the values within them. I introduced darker tones to the background which i feel really allowed me to get more detail into the painting, unlike with the first one. I also feel that this method allowed me to pick out focal points, for example, the shrubs in the foreground and the roof in the background which is completely the opposite to the first painting. 

I think when looking at both methods side by side, the 1st was more effective. The lighter colours in the background gave a really smoggy atmosphere to the piece and the method as a whole added a lot of depth to the painting which i love.