Skill is an illusion that takes years to buy into. And then, after all that, it can rear its ugly head as an obstacle to full self expression. The artist must learn to walk the line, precariously, between skill and fully abandoned self expression. The envelope is the essence, the gesture of the form. This envelope is the structure of the head or the figure or the tree.
Value can express mood or form.
Ideally, values must express both. Don t mix them on the palette. Rather, combine the hues on the painting itself. Don t be seduced by texture, which is superficial. Form is synonymous with structure.