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| Color as Value |
'Value' describes the lightness or darkness relative to its surroundings. It is a color characteristic and also depicts volume. It creates the illusion of a three-dimensional object on a two-dimensional surface.
Students learning to draw are taught to master the color characteristic of value first in charcoal or graphite. Drawing in achromatic or 'no color' simplifies the complexity into grey, black and white without addressing hue, intensity, or temperature.
A 'tone' is a single color or hue mixed with grey. Tones represent various colors observed in life without addressing the other characteristics of color or moving on to chromatics.
The Contrast Effect
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Value is relative to its surroundings and can be deceiving. A single tone induces lightness or darkness upon other adjacent tones and is mutually affected in return.
The horizontal strip of gray below is the same tone across the background of values.
It creates an optical illusion called the 'Contrast Effect.' Even though the middle strip of grey is one single tone, it appears lighter on the dark side and darker on the light side.
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| The Contrast Effect |
Shape & Form
Value also helps us visually determine one shape from another, regardless of its other hue, intensity, or temperature characteristics. The value defines shape & form. Underneath every great painting is a contrast of lights & darks. Without some contrast, objects blend together, making it harder for us to determine one shape from another.
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| Value contrast distinguishes one shape from another |
For example, the painting on the left shows the original value relationships. Value contrast in the painting on the right has been dramatically reduced. Shapes appear to blur together, leaving little information for the viewer to distinguish one from another. It is harder to quickly comprehend what they are looking at.
“Color or hue gets the glory, but value does the work!” -- unknown
Natural Value
Hue affects the value of a single tone. Pigments straight out of the tube before mixed with other colors are at their highest intensity or chroma and have a pre-existing value. It is called a 'natural value,' apparent when placed next to different colors.
For example, yellow is generally on the lighter side compared to other hues on the color wheel. There are only a few colors that can be mixed to make it lighter.
Purple or Violet is generally on the dark side compared to other colors. As shown below, Orange, green, red, and blue are usually somewhere in the middle.
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| Every hue already has a natural value. |
Value Scale
Since value is relative, a 'value scale' or measuring device is used to help to determine the lightness or darkness of a single tone. The human eye can distinguish many values, but it is generally only necessary to represent 9 of those values in visual art.
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| Value Scale or Gradation with 11 tones |
Mixing colors with white may dull the color intensity. However, don't confuse brightness with lightness. Intensity is the brightness or dullness of a tone. Value is the lightness or darkness of a tone relative to its surroundings.
