How do I figure out exactly what I need to study, and what questions to ask myself?

[John]

So for now it looks like I should probably avoid all painting studies until I fully know what I'm seeking to learn when doing them. Except for value studies

Before I give my long winded answer, I'd say yes! It's not a bad plan!

I always had this notion that I had to master values before I can get a crack at doing colors. I did a few pieces in grayscale both digitally and in pencil. I remember I had a hard time doing it mainly because it was difficult for me to translate the colors I see into just black, white and shades of gray in between. I didn't last long with incorporating values in my process. It felt silly, especially when I work mostly on a computer, where I can always turn the colored piece into grayscale anytime and flip it back.

The reason why I said yes is because there's something to be gained with being focused and, in turn, earnestly learning something. While avoiding something to get yourself focused on another isn't bad, it's a different story when you're under the impression that going from values to color is the necessary step to get to where you want your work to be.

I had this misconception that you have to have a draftsman level line work as a foundation to produce a great painting. Seeing people like Stjepan Sejic or our very own Piotr go straight to painting from a blank canvas blows my mind every time I see them do their thing.

Short summary: Yes, but keep your options open!