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Value: Lightness or darkness of an object.

1.Value Check:

a. Turn your reference photo into black & white.
By removing color, we can clearly see the value changes.

b. Take photos of your painting during each stage of the process and turn them into black & white. Compare values to the black & white reference photo. This will help you to lay in your values more accurately.

Check out the video below, I go into much more detail.

2. Value scales

I would suggest painting between 7 to 9 values.

a. Gray scale…using only black and white.

b. Monochromatic: one color + medium. (in oils, I use a mix of 50% solvent + 50% Refined linseed oil; in acrylics, you can use water or glazing liquid).

c. Monochromatic: one color + white.

Another way to see and understand value is by creating your own value scales. This will be great practice in mixing and accomplishing a variety of lights and darks. You can also use these as a reference to check your values in your paintings…as always, try not to use them as a crutch as it will take away from the spontaneity of your painting.

3. Monochromatic painting

Create an entire painting using only one color and medium. (You can also create a grayscale painting, or a monochromatic painting using just one color + white).

• Monochromatic painting: one color + medium

Painting in a monochromatic color scheme will help you see and understand value better, and give you more confidence moving forward with your full-color paintings.

Do you have any other tips to help understand value? Sharing is caring – let us know in the comments below!