A two value notan structure has just two values: a light and a dark value. This is the simplest form of notan and because of this simplicity, possibly the most powerful.
Often the two value notan is created by the effect of a dark object silhouetted against a back light. Monet used it a lot in his compositions. For example, look at his paintings of London, England. They all just have two values.
You can also see it used a lot by the Japanese master print makers. The black and white version of the Yoshida painting above clearly shows his use of the two value notan.
How to plan your painting
A two value notan painting is a small, quickly executed monochrome painting that consists of simple shapes in a small number of values. I prefer to call them notan “paintings” rather than drawings or sketches for two reasons:
- Thinking of them as a painting keeps me focused on the key elements of the design of my painting even though I only have two colors: black and white on my palette. If I can make this painting beautiful, then the larger painting stands a much better chance of being successful.
- I use brush pens to create them – and these tools are more like brushes than drawing tools.
Above is the two value notan painting that I did in preparation for “Cleone Lake, Mendocino Coast”. It helped me simplify a complex subject like the one below, into just two or three shapes.
To learn more
Notan is such a powerful contributing factor to the success of any painting that it is the subject of a complete building block in the my Virtual Art Academy Apprentice Program. It fits in the Visual Music section of my curriculum of online painting classes.
Comments from Barry’s Virtual Art Academy students
A great learning platform
I have been working my way through the Virtual Art Academy for almost a year now, and cannot recommend it highly enough. The Workshops are thorough, structured and substantive. There is a logical and step by step progression that makes the learning process so much easier, with new concepts being introduced and then practiced along… Read more “A great learning platform”
It is wild to see how much I am learning in this course!
Five star rating from me for Virtual Art Academy (VAA)! I retired last year, and decided I wanted to spend my time in retirement learning how to oil paint. But having never painted before, I wasn’t even sure what to look for in an online painting course. However, I did some searches for “Best Online… Read more “It is wild to see how much I am learning in this course!”
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I wanted to get a comprehensive art education with the freedom to work at my own pace. I’m several years into the curriculum and I feel like my work has drastically improved. I’ve found holes in my knowledge that I didn’t know I had. Critiquing other students posts and reading their feedback to mine has… Read more “comprehensive art education”
Only online learning program I have ever discovered using a training industry best practice
Before repurposing my vocation into avocation, I spent 20 years in the corporate world as an instructional designer and performance consultant creating training curricula for diverse clientele from NASA to General Motors. I know curriculum development and how to guide a learner from beginning to certification. VAA is the only online learning program I have… Read more “Only online learning program I have ever discovered using a training industry best practice”
The small steps are easy to do
I am extremely impressed with the process that Barry has developed for VAA. Learning to paint can be intimidating, but when broken into many small projects it is very do-able. I just did my first live model painting session- a 5 hour, one day session. Thanks to VAA, I was able to break the painting… Read more “The small steps are easy to do”
An excellent foundation on so many aspects of painting
I never had formal training in painting and my style has always been very realistic, slow and not at all artistic, just a copy of a photograph. When I got word of the course available through Virtual Art Academy, I was very excited for the opportunity to learn what I never knew about painting. VAA… Read more “An excellent foundation on so many aspects of painting”
Barry gave me a fishing rod so I can catch my own fish
After weeks and even months of searching YouTube, “googling” and spending a fortune on art instructional books I finally came across the Virtual Art Academy®. When it comes to purchasing online I am always very careful how I spend my money. Especially when I already spent a small fortune on art books. They always seemed… Read more “Barry gave me a fishing rod so I can catch my own fish”
No need to buy expensive art books…. Just do the VAA 4 year course. I still refer to it
I finished the VAA course a few years ago, but always refer to the notes, rereading the course many times. This is not a course the day you are finished, you are done. No, you keep practising the assignments getting better and better over time. When I look back at my work when I had just… Read more “No need to buy expensive art books…. Just do the VAA 4 year course. I still refer to it”
The equivalent of a 4 year art education at a fraction of the cost
This is a great course for anyone who is serious about improving their painting. I have been a student here for several years. When I am finished, I will have the equivalent of a 4 year art education at a fraction of the cost. I can do the lessons anywhere and at my own pace.… Read more “The equivalent of a 4 year art education at a fraction of the cost”
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