Berlin Portrait Academy Presents:

Realist Art Quest

Take a bold step towards mastery of realism, one mini-challenge at a time….

2025

New York

The Atlast Project →

At it’s core, realism is all about capturing VALUES (how light or dark a colour is)

The world is represented by an INFINITE number of values ranging from the darkest black of space, to the brightest white of direct sunlight.

2025

New York

The Atlast Project →

The painter’s job is to SIMPLIFY this infinite range of values into something easily manageable on a paint palette, and transfer those to the canvas.

The good news is that ANYONE can learn this fundamental skill, and once you’ve mastered simplifying complexity into basic values, realistic painting becomes MUCH easier.

Challenge 1-a: Simple Cube

Find the main values: Main Dark, Main Light, and Mid-tone

Challenge 1-b: Cylinder

Find the main values: Main Dark, Main Light, and Mid-tone

Unlike the cube, the cylinder has rounded form meaning the midtone is not as easily identified. But you can simplify the image into the three main values and STILL describe the form.

Challenge 1-c: Sphere

Find the main values: Main Dark, Main Light, and Mid-tone

Like the cylinder, the sphere is a smooth object so the different planes are not easily identified. But just as before, we can simplify the image into three values and it still looks like a sphere.

Berlin Portrait Academy Presents:

Realist Art Quest

At it’s core, realism is all about capturing VALUES (how light or dark a colour is)

The world is represented by an INFINITE number of values ranging from the darkest black of space, to the brightest white of direct sunlight.

The painter’s job is to SIMPLIFY this infinite range of values into something easily manageable on a paint palette, and transfer those to the canvas.

The good news is that ANYONE can learn this fundamental skill, and once you’ve mastered simplifying complexity into basic values, realistic painting becomes MUCH easier.

Challenge 1-a: Simple Cube

Find the main values: Main Dark, Main Light, and Mid-tone

Challenge 1-b: Cylinder

Find the main values: Main Dark, Main Light, and Mid-tone

Unlike the cube, the cylinder has rounded form meaning the midtone is not as easily identified. But you can simplify the image into the three main values and STILL describe the form.

Challenge 1-c: Sphere

Find the main values: Main Dark, Main Light, and Mid-tone

Like the cylinder, the sphere is a smooth object so the different planes are not easily identified. But just as before, we can simplify the image into three values and it still looks like a sphere.

DO:

Ask yourself: “Are my three values the right SIZE and SHAPE?” If the answer is “NO” then keep working using the same three values until they are!

Beginner Mistakes:

DON’T:

Add values or details while you still have incorrect proportions. Adding more will make your life MUCH harder and create an unmanageable mess!

Berlin Portrait Academy

Location

Contact

Berlin Portrait Academy Presents:

Realist Art Quest

At it’s core, realism is all about capturing VALUES (how light or dark a colour is)The world is represented by an INFINITE number of values ranging from the darkest black of space, to the brightest white of direct sunlight.

The painter’s job is to SIMPLIFY this infinite range of values into something easily manageable on a paint palette, and transfer those to the canvas.

The good news is that ANYONE can learn this fundamental skill, and once you’ve mastered simplifying complexity into basic values, realistic painting becomes MUCH easier.

Challenge 1-a: Simple Cube

Find the main values: Main Dark, Main Light, and Mid-tone

Challenge 1-b: Cylinder

Find the main values: Main Dark, Main Light, and Mid-toneUnlike the cube, the cylinder has rounded form meaning the midtone is not as easily identified. But you can simplify the image into the three main values and STILL describe the form.

Challenge 1-c: Sphere

Find the main values: Main Dark, Main Light, and Mid-toneLike the cylinder, the sphere is a smooth object so the different planes are not easily identified. But just as before, we can simplify the image into three values and it still looks like a sphere.

DO:

Ask yourself: “Are my three values the right SIZE and SHAPE?” If the answer is “NO” then keep working using the same three values until they are!

Beginner Mistakes:

DON’T:

Add values or details while you still have incorrect proportions. Adding more will make your life MUCH harder and create an unmanageable mess!

Berlin Portrait Academy

Location

Contact

At it’s core, realism is all about capturing VALUES (how light or dark a colour is)

The world is represented by an INFINITE number of values ranging from the darkest black of space, to the brightest white of direct sunlight.

Find the main values: Main Dark, Main Light, and Mid-tone

Unlike the cube, the cylinder has rounded form meaning the midtone is not as easily identified. But you can simplify the image into the three main values and STILL describe the form.

Find the main values: Main Dark, Main Light, and Mid-tone

Like the cylinder, the sphere is a smooth object so the different planes are not easily identified. But just as before, we can simplify the image into three values and it still looks like a sphere.