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Value Drawing - The Key To Realism: We See by Means of Values

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936 views6 pages

Value Drawing - The Key To Realism: We See by Means of Values

draw

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spuzzar
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© © All Rights Reserved
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Home Free Resources Fundamentals Portrait Drawing Figure Drawing Tutorials

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Value Drawing - The Key to


Realism

Value drawing can be used to create an


image that feels so real and spacious
that it seems like you could reach right
into it!
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It helps us create believable space,
mood, atmosphere and various
"special effects" in our pictures. It is an
incredibly versatile tool when
understood and used correctly! Name

So, what is value? Guardar 94

" Value" simply means ho w light o r


dark so mething is.
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E-Book!
A drawing is said to be a value drawing when it is in black and white, when it has
no color. Black, white, and the many shades of gray in between the two are called
values (and sometimes tones).

We See by Means of Values

Value isn't just important to drawing:


it's what allows us to see form!

Our entire visual experience and


perception of the world depends on
light. Whenever we see anything, it
means that what we are looking at is
being illuminated by a light source.

As an object turns away from the


light source, less light can reach it, so
it gradually darkens. Eventually the
object falls into shadow where light
can no longer reach it. This
incremental darkening of an object
turning away from light creates a
range o f values.
We see form through these differences in
values, or differences in lightness and Art Instruction Films
- Watch Online and
darkness. It is this range of values that
makes objects look three-dimensional.
For example, take a look around. Are youDownload
sitting at a table? What is making it
appear to be three-dimensional? TheLearn with top Artists in
Watercolor, Acrylics, Oils,
side plane and the top plane of the table
are two different values, right? One plane
Pastels, Drawing and more
is most likely lighter, and the other is
darker. pulsarproductions.com

When we draw with value, we mimic the


way that light falls o n fo rm to create
the illusion of three-dimensionality.

To cre a te a re a listic dra wing, we must mimic the wa y tha t va lue s


a ppe a r in life .

The Importance of Value Relationships

So, why is value drawing the key to realism?

Well, we know that values create the


illusion of form and three-dimensionality.
But more specifically, it is the
relatio nships between the values of an
object that make it look convincingly
realistic.

"Value relationships" simply mean how


dark or light one value is compared to
another.

To dra w a be lie va ble obje ct, the


va lue re la tionships in our dra wing
must mimic the va lue re la tionships
Drawing by Alphonse Mucha tha t occur in life .
Guardar 94

Let's use this photograph of a sphere to


demonstrate the importance of value
relationships.

What happens if I change the value of


only one element in the image (therefore
changing the value relationships in the
scene)?

Here I have drastically lightened the


shadow area on the sphere only, without
changing any other values in the image.

The result is that it looks unnatural and


defies logical sense.

It looks like there is a very strong reflected light illuminating the sphere's lower
half, but where could it be coming from if the surface on which the sphere sits is
unaffected? Additionally, lightening only the shadows caused the sphere to lose
much of its three dimensionality.

If you were to make this same mistake in a drawing, it would have the same effect:
your drawing would not look realistic because its value relationships would not
mimic the ones occurring in life.

If you do not a ccura te ly re pre se nt the re la tionships be twe e n


the va lue s of a n obje ct, you will not cre a te a convincing dra wing.

In this lies the importance of learning about and becoming comfortable with value
drawing.

Value Drawing and Illusion

To draw is to create illusions. After all, we


are using charcoal (which is basically a
burnt twig) and a piece of paper to
represent the skin, hair and clothing of a
person, or the brick, glass and metal of a
cityscape, for example.

When we draw, we attempt to create an


illusion of the values found in nature.
We can't truly recreate the exact
values fo r several reaso ns:

1. There are an infinite number of values


in nature. Our human vision is relatively
poor, which makes it impossible for us to
even see the full value range that exists
in nature.

2. Our drawing tools have limited


capabilities, restricting the value range
that we can create using pencil and
paper. Drawing by Marina Fridman
Guardar 94
However, none of this hinders our ability
to create realistic illusions of form,
because we don't need an infinite range
of values to create convincing drawings!

We can depict what we see most effectively by simplifying our


observations.

Simplifying values produces a much more cohesive, believable drawing than


recording every value and minute detail that you see. Artists realized this
hundreds of years ago and created a system of simplifying and organizing values
called...

The Value Scale

Artists use a system of nine values ranging from white to black, called a value
scale. The scale consists of four light values (values 1 to 4), a middle value (also
called a half-tone), and four dark values (values 6 to 9). A value scale is essentially
a simplified gradation. Learn ho w to draw a value scale here.

A value scale
Guardar 94

In drawing, the values on the value scale become


your visual alphabet.

You can think of each value as a letter. On its


own, one letter may not convey much. But when
combined with other letters to form words, they
create a language through which we can
communicate.

In a similar way, we combine values to create a


drawing: a visual form of communication.

Guardar 94

FREE DOWNLOAD
Value is one of the essential elements of Realistic Drawing.
Download the freeElements o f Realistic Drawing E-Bo o k
to learn about the rest!

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Value, H o w to Draw H o w to Drawing Supplies
Light and Fo rm a Value Scale Draw a Sphere

Return to the H o mepage from Value Drawing

Art Instruction Films


Realistic Landscape - Watch Online and
- Oil Paintings Download
Realistic Landscape oil Learn with top Artists in
paintings by Andrew Orr Watercolor, Acrylics, Oils,
Pastels, Drawing and more
andreworr.com
pulsarproductions.com

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BY MARINA FRIDMAN COPYRIGHT THE DRAWING SOURCE 2017. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

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