(sample value grid. Far right column is black to white value chart. The yellow and red columns are value color charts. More below)
If I've said this before, it bears repeating: "Color gets the credit but value does all the heavy lifting.." (anon).
Value is light vs. dark. Every color can be made darker or lighter by adding black (shades) or white (tints). Changing value can be done to color right out of the tube or to mixed colors (e.g to red + blue.....purple).
By being aware of the mood you want to convey, you can use value to create successful energy (vs. chaos) or calm beauty (vs. dullness).
There are two reasons to creating value charts to pin up in your work space:
a) they will help you learn how to control value in our work.
b) you'll discover some amazing colors when mixing black and/or white with 'raw' colors (e.g. check out, in student sample photo, the cool green made from cadmium yellow and black)
For those ready to put in work for a big pay-off, here's how to:
make a Gray Value chart:
1) Draw a 1" wide column, divided it into nine equal segments, about 1" deep.
2) Paint the top segment black; the bottom one white and then use 50/50 for the middle segment.
3) Try to fill in the empty segments with gradually changing mixtures of gray.
The goal when making your steps is to avoid big 'jumps' from one segment to the next. i.e. visually each step should reflect the same degree of change as the step before it. Sound easy? HA! Keep at it until you feel you are really close to having the top to bottom move smoothly from one square to the next.
make a Color Value Chart:
1) Draw your column as noted in 1) above.
2) Paint your top segment almost black but with enough color to see it as a very dark version; paint the bottom segment almost white, with a hint of the color. For the middle square try and make a combination of the top and bottom color, approx. 50/50
3) Fill in the empty segments with gradually changing proportions so that all steps are complete, with no big 'jumps' from one segment to the next.
Let me know how you do!
