Three Practical Steps to Simplification 

BEST tutorials on design ever!! Every painting begins as an abstraction and endures by the power of design!!

So very helpful - No one else has ever gone there. So many instructors go just so far and then stop before getting to the You are a true teacher. I appreciate

Your ‘three value’ lesson has solved so many problems I did not know I had. Thank you ever so much.

I began watching your videos starting with your first talks on abstraction (what lead me to your videos in the first place.) "All painting is abstraction." I’m paraphrasing you. That hit me over the head with a distinct clunk! Much of what you’ve said since that first video is information I already know. But your restating it makes it sink in! This reminder of 3 values is the most important. Thanks for these videos. I look forward to each week!

Very helpful, as always. I got a degree in Fine Art and never had a teacher who taught me as much as you have. Much gratitude to you!

I don't actually paint or draw, but I make music and find this knowledge so transferable to it. Also, these videos are so engaging and full of wisdom, thank you for making them!

Well, that's about the most useful tutorial on painting I've ever seen. Spent a lot of my life doing detailed illustration. Now that I'm seriously ancient , I'm trying to pull my painting together and break a level of 'artist's block'. I have quite a few photos ( a love of mine) that I thought might have paintings in them, but couldn't really see them. This will make a difference. Thank you.

This is so valuable, I cannot stress that enough. I got your book, “Mastering Composition” which is easily my #1 most helpful book. I am taking your recommendation of doing a simple 3-value sketch a day (or 350 sketches) to heart. Your example here is perfect! That’s my goal to take a photo like you show, finding the 3 values, and doing a simple sketch as you did in this example. LOVE IT!!

Thank you Ian ,what an eye opener ,you have simplified things for me with this demonstration .I am sure my work will be all the better after watching the way you divided the painting to the value of three . You explain everything so well many thanks .

Thank you! Knowing this technique is incredibly helpful and it trains my eyes to see values, shadows and highlights much better.

Hi Ian...Boy you really broke down those compositional elements to what was essential to the design. Terrific demonstration! Most helpful to see your process to abstract using just 3 value masses. Cheers -Greg

Ian, your videos are really extraordinary. In a short time you are able to convey some really important and useful ideas with great examples. This recent series on abstraction has been so helpful and enlightening. Thank you very much for sharing what you know, and doing it so well!

This lesson is so basic but really so important. And you are showing that it can also be fairly easy. WOW!

This really hit home and being able to see you demonstrate the 3 value sketch and explain as you go is priceless. Thank you!

This is of greatest importance in my ability to design good pictures! Thank you for your clear instruction.

Best ART class you will ever take ! THANKS for teaching painting classes ! Great teaching ! I love your ART !

I love your mantra "color gets the attention and value does the work" it will really help to remember this in my painting planning and execution.

Wow lm loving this, l used to go mad with detail, literally, lve had a hiatus of 15 years lm back , now with cezzane and Vincent on my mind. And yours truly,

I can’t hear this enough, thank you.

Brilliant. Such a clear tutorial. Thank you very much for your outstanding lesson. I love your technique and teaching style.

Thank you for this very clear explanation and demonstration. It gives me a clear pathway to approach painting an image. I"m delighted to have found your channel and will order your book. Thanks again.

This was really really helpful! I have a trick that helps me to identify the mass shapes. It may be useful for some people. It was for me. Here’s what I did. I saved a B&W of my photo. Then I maxed the contrast of that B&W photo. Voila! I’ve got my three (or sometimes four) colors. It also highlights the gradations. I use that as a start for my sketch shading each tone lightly but with enough contrast to tell them apart. Then I increase the contrast until it looks right. Then I go back to the original photo to select colors appropriate for the mass shapes. I use both my sketch and the photo as a guide for painting. I have a tough time thinking about color hue, value and chroma, where to add details and how to interpret what I am seeing all at the same time. So your way of paints really helps. With practice I hope that juggling everything will get easier.

Discovered Ian Roberts last week, watched a few of his videos and learnt so much in that short time from him and as a result my painting I just did turned out vastly improved from the ones previous - subscribed !

I love to draw the way you demonstrated. Thank you so much for your Guidance

Knowledgeable, patient explanation; sharing and teaching, in an enjoyable and very pleasant manner…thank you…hope you continue…

So easy to follow when we see you actually doing what you say we should do to improve our work. Thank you Ian!

Vos videos sont très instructives ! Merci pour vos explications toujours très précises, instructives , et magistralement exécutées ! On progresse beaucoup en vous écoutant et vous observant !

Your videos are like windows opening. Thank you.

This is so clear and concise. Thank you! Your videos are always so help.

Thank you so much mr.Roberts!! your channel is truly eye-opening

Gold . . . 24 carat! Am about half-way through your M.C. book . . . . a bullseye on every page as well! Thank-you so much

You are such an amazing tutor!!! Thank you so much for sharing these!!!

You are the BEST !! thank you ! thank you ! thank you ! thank you ! thank you !

Very helpful! The best lesson I've ever heard and seen.

We are in the golden age of education/ease of access to knowledge. Thx for your work.

Excellent explanation. Simplified and organized... Better than my art class (pre pandemic). Thank you bunches!

I never truly understood how to simplify and I’ve painted for 30 yrs. Now I’m understanding it after your videos. Thank u!

This is so helpful...and I can see where it translates to lost edges doing this!

Lian Thank you for the videos you made. I totally enjoyed and learned a lot from it.

You're a great teacher, taught me how to simplify in 6 minutes and 22 seconds. Well, you're simply the best !

You are a blessing. Thank you for sharing.

thanks for these tips. I'll work on them as it will make it easier for me to see the basic shades to consider

Thank you! Looking forward to using this exercise!

Ian your guidance is of massive help. Thank you so much for your priceless videos.

I LOVED this.. please do more! Lots of subjects! I really need this practice.

Great lesson…loved the look of the pencil you used.

T Y so much Ian - great tutorial

thank you, thank you, so simple yet so valuable !!!

Thank you for being there 🌸

You really help me understand how to simplify and abstract. Thank you so much for these wonderful, easy how to videos. They are a great accompaniment to your book, Mastering Composition.

Makes me want to go sketching today....thanks!

Wonderful tips! Thanks so much for this informative series on abstract and simplifying.

Great! Very helpful indeed. Will try this process. Thanks.

Fantastic tutorial. I wish I had been shown this decades ago. Thank you for generously sharing your expertise and experience with us. Your channel is pure gold for art learning.

Just so painterly Ian with a very large brush, the finish that you achieve is fantastic & very much appreciated by me to see this done time and time again, thank you, Neil

I recommend Ian's book and videos to all my artist friends! These lessons are gems. Thanks so much to the Master of composition!!!

This video is so very helpful! Thank you! Three values are so very powerful for creating strong compositions and I never would have thought of this on my own. I’m looking forward to putting this technique into practice on my next painting. I’m a beginner and your videos and book Mastering Composition have helped me progress magnitudes faster than otherwise.

Excellent video, and I really appreciate the suggestion of the three-tone drawing to find the compositional foundation of the painting. As you say so often adn well, everything else -- palette, style, level of detail -- depends on that foundation.

So much conveyed in under 10 minutes. I have been binge watching your videos for the last week & they are all nuggets. Thank you Mr Roberts.

FANTASTIC I'd heard of using 5 values, and I thought that was a great way to simplify down form 10 values, but never reducing it down to 3 values. That's even better and way easier to see!

Excellent teaching. You distill your knowledge down to the simplest components; it really can't be explained any better. A valuable lesson - very much appreciated. Thank you.

I wish you'd keep up the teaching. Really helpfull and also kind of you.

I just realized I have your book on my art table. It is a great resource but now I get to enjoy hearing you teach and show live demonstrations. Best of both worlds.

Great teachings. Very helpful. Thanks.

You shared a priceless lesson. You've got to feel blessed for the tireless, generous sharing of your skills with everyone. I certainly hope you are. Thanks so much.

Hi Ian, thanks for adding your colour pallette layout, that’s really useful to know and it’s terrific to see the original photo of Midday at Le Barroux and see you sketch it up. I am so honoured to have that beautiful painting in my home all the way over here in Australia. Also great info on values.👍

Love your videos, maybe e can get unstuck from painting with all this new and valuable info, an huge thanks all the way from Portugal

Extremely helpfull and practical. Thanks.

Brilliant the way you reduce complicated subjects into easily and quickly understandable little cameos for us. SO grateful!

Thank you so much Ian!! Your videos are just GREAT!!!!! I can't stop watching them!!

This is so helpful. I've found value a real challenge in my artwork and this is such a helpful approach. It seems to distill the essential components of value and helps me understand how it is linked to composition. Thanks for sharing.

Best lesson yet in basic composition.

Thank you! I will be trying this.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

Great! Very helpful. Thanks a lot!

Very clear explanations, thank you!

Yeah! these videos on abstraction and values definitely makes a dramatic improvement in my work, I can allready notice the difference.

Excelent drawings. Strong compositions. Simple and nice

This is so helpful. Thanks again Ian.

Lovely painting🌺

Thanks, Ian. You have really helped me with your videos.

Thank you Ian for these examples. I'm just trying to apply your simplification method in watercolor right now. I had problems with watercolor before. Now my watercolor paintings are even more interesting than oil. ))

cant wait to try this exercise, thanks

Great and interesting explanation of the topic

Eccellente! Grazie

Great lesson! Thank you.

This was such an amazing video and it is such an amazing introduction to abstraction

wonderful way to show us your knowledge and allow us to learn in a very synthesized way 🙏🏼

This is valuable. Your technique of explaining, demoing and then following through brings it all home! Exciting and I also THANK YOU

Estupendo! Muy didactico y claro . Gran profesor!

Thank you Ian for sharing this beautiful lesson on three values, we need to see again and again to get practical and better on my landscape paintings.🙏🏾

Astonishing tutorial! I have never thought of simplification this way, even though it's so simple and basic.

I look forward to Tuesdays every week. Your videos are so helpful!!!!! Thank you Ian!

So methodical! You are an amazing teacher. Makes so much sense. 👍

Great idea! My new July resolution - draw using three values before painting. Thank you again!

Excellent as always... Thank you! The way you explain and demonstrate makes it easy to understand... and follow!

This was fantastically helpful. Thank you so much.

Such excellent instruction! So glad I found your channel. Thank you very much for sharing

Excellent! Thank you so much!

Wow I’ve just discovered your teaching ! I’m hooked!!! All the chores are now left unattended whilst I catch up . You are a good teacher and believe me I know a good one when I see one, Sharon Duce London .