Remember when you simplified a pear and a portrait into five values? We're revisiting that concept, but now with more knowledge and experience! You know about shape design, gesture, structure, value organization, and the basic elements of light and shadow.

The main objective is to practice thinking of values as interconnected shapes and be intentional about how these shapes work together. A single thoughtful accent is louder than a bunch of accidental ones.

Level 1

Your assignment is to pick one of the provided photos of a sculpted portrait and create a careful study using 5 values (2 in the shadows, 3 in the lights).

• Use the Value Tool: Try the value tool to get an initial read of the rough value distributions.
• Create Thumbnails: Figure out your composition before starting the larger drawing.
• Work Full-Page: Avoid making it too small to control your lakes and rivers effectively.
• Start with a Linear Lay-In: Use what you've learned about measuring and eyeballing proportions.
• Separate Shadow from Light: Clearly distinguish between the shadow and light families.
• Build Up Values: Gradually add all the other values you see.
• Avoid Floaters: Allow only important shapes to grab attention.
• Squint Often: It's the simplest way to see connections and identify distracting floaters.
• Check Your Work: Flip your drawing upside down or look at it in a mirror to spot issues.

Regarding edges, try not to get too caught up in intricate soft edges and transitions. Feel free to attempt some edge work, but if you find yourself struggling, focus on sharp-edged tiles and concentrate on the value shapes.

Level 2

For those looking for an extra challenge, you can use between 7 and unlimited values. These extra values allow for more subtlety and sophisticated transitions between your shapes. Extra values let you:

• Model intricate plane changes. You might need more than 2 halftone values plus a highlight.
• Define shadow all the elements. Sometimes core shadows, reflected light, and occlusion shadows all have distinct values.
• Create realistic illusions of form with more nuanced rendering. For example a core shadow that changes value as it travels down a form.

Feel free to be more interpretive in how you group values and make bold design decisions. Trust your gut and add your own taste to the drawing.

Deadline - submit by June 13, 2025 for a chance to be in the critique video!