I made a Value Study Tool! It’s like the Gradient Map layer in photoshop I showed you, but with some additional features. Several of you mentioned that you don’t have photoshop, so this should be very useful. Check it out at proko.com/values.
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An artist's job isn't about capturing all the details, it's about interpreting, summarizing, and distilling with an opinion. The images you create communicate with viewers, and strong compositions get the message across clearly.
Value Range
It's common for drawings and paintings to use a full value range, from white to black, giving you maximum contrast. But you don't have to use every value. You can use a limited value range, using just a portion of the value scale, such as just the dark half, just the light half, or only middle values.
Limiting your value range can greatly affect the mood of your artwork. For instance, using middle values allows you to use very bright colors, as adding black or white reduces chroma.
You can also limit which values you use within that range. Splitting a range into sections and using only specific values opens up creative possibilities. Your decisions can have a big impact on the overall feel of your picture and can be an important part of your style.
Identifying Extremes is crucial. Find the lightest lights and darkest darks in your picture. Knowing these extremes provides reference points to judge other values.
Value Keys
Value keys relate to how you distribute values within your range. Even with a full range, how much you use of each value matters.
- Low Key - Dominated by darker values, feels dramatic or mysterious.
- High Key - Dominated by lighter values, feels airy, open, or calm.
- Mid Key - Balanced distribution or heavy on mid-tones
Adjust the values to support your story and resonate with the subject matter.
A useful trick is to use a rare high-contrast value to draw attention. In a low key painting, a few very light shapes in the focal area will stand out and grab the viewer's eye.
There's no correct answer on how much of each value to use. But it's useful to consider it. You get to ponder on it and decide on the distributions that match your vision and preference.
Value Hierarchy
By managing value relationships, you create a hierarchy that guides the viewer's eye through your composition. For example when simplifying our composition into 2-3 values, how we place value thresholds determines visual importance. We can emphasize contrast between light and shadow or emphasize the object as a whole.
You don’t have to stick exactly to the values in your reference. You can change the reference to suit our needs. You can increase contrasts in key areas, reduce it in others, or even invent new value patterns that serve the story you’re telling. These value hierarchies show the viewers what matters most. Like a well-structured article leads readers through the key points. For example, in a portrait, you might use higher contrast on the face while simplifying the background and hair to frame it. It’s typically a good idea to avoid spotty values that break unity. When in doubt, make related areas share related values.
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As you move forward with your own work, experiment with these concepts. Try creating the same scene with different value distributions. See how it changes the feeling, the focus, the story you're telling. Don't be afraid to push the extremes or find subtle variations that speak to your artistic voice.
And keep doing those master studies. Now that you know these tools, studying the masters can help you understand how to use them. In the next project we will experiment. We'll explore various solutions. Over time, you’ll build a stronger intuition for which value choices support your ideas.
Check out the premium course for additional lessons, demos, assignments and critiques!
