oil on canvas panel

When you first start painting, a huge issue is (and remains actually) contrast. You hear over and over again about using contrast to make things "pop". The best painters are great at this: John Singer Sargent, for example - master's of value. But being a master of value doesn't necessarily mean "screaming" your point with violent and obvious contrasts. The most interesting painters have subtle but distinct value variation in their work. This is something I will work on the rest of my painting life, I'm sure...