Value can describe the brightness or darkness of the surfaces we see. However, we don’t perceive the brightness of surfaces objectively.  Instead, we see it in relation to its surroundings. A surface appears brighter next to dark surroundings and darker next to bright ones.

For example, in the illusion below, value relationships are used to communicate that a part of the checkerboard pattern is in the shadow of the cube.  At first glance, square B looks darker than square C.  But when we isolate the values, we see that B and C are actually the same.  Square B only appears darker because it’s next to the lighter value of square A, while square C looks lighter because it’s next to the darker value of square D.  Squares C and D seem to be the same color as the rest of the checkerboard, only appearing darker because of the shadow.  This is because the value relationship between A and B is similar to the value relationship between C and D.

Even if we could see light and dark objectively, like a light meter does, we would still face another challenge: our medium cannot capture the full range of light and dark that we see in real life.  We must therefore compress the light and dark information we observe into the limited value range of our chosen medium, which means some information will inevitably be lost.

Photographers encounter this same problem when choosing exposure.  For instance, when photographing a room with a bright window, they must decide whether to expose for the indoor or outdoor light.  If they expose for the interior, the window will be overexposed, turning everything brighter than a certain point into pure white.  If they expose for the exterior, the indoor scene will be underexposed, turning everything darker than a certain point into pure black.  No single exposure can capture the full range of brightness in this situation.

Artists have more freedom than photographers when deciding how to handle this compression, but some information will still be lost.  It is possible to show both bright outdoor light and darker indoor light in one image, but to do so, the difference between them must be compressed.  The brightest indoor values and the brightest outdoor values will appear more similar than the actual levels of brightness we see.  There is no single correct way to compress your experience of light and dark, but it is important to make that choice deliberately.

We can handle both the problems of subjective perception of brightness and the need for compressing brightness by thinking in terms of value relationships.  Instead of trying to match the exact brightness of a surface, we observe its relationship to the brightness of surrounding surfaces, as well as the darkest and lightest areas of the subject.  We can describe those brightness relationships by using values with similar relationships in the value range of our medium.

The value range is the brightest and darkest values your medium can create and all the values in between.  A value relationship is the distance between two values in the value range. 

Despite the values being different, all four images describe a similar experience of light and dark since they all have similar value relationships. The values of the lit areas, shadow areas, and darkest areas are at similar distances in the value scale. The same areas are brighter and darker in all four version.

Lesson 7 Assignments

Value Scale

A value scale is a tool that organizes the full range of light to dark that a medium can produce into evenly spaced steps, often around nine.  Assigning numbers to these steps makes it easier to describe and compare the relationships between light and dark in your work.

Creating a value scale is an excellent way to learn control of your medium and practice producing specific values.  Start by dividing a rectangle into nine equally sized squares.  Fill the square on one end with the darkest value your medium can produce, and the square on the other end with the lightest, which may be the white of the page.  Next, fill the remaining squares with values that gradually transition between light and dark, spacing them as evenly as possible in the value range.  The value in each square should be equally different in value from the neighboring squares.  You may need to make adjustments as you go.  Evaluate your results by how evenly the values are spaced in the value range and how consistent the value in each square appears.

Value Transition

Practice controlling your medium by creating smooth transitions between areas of value. The goal is to create a soft gradient that moves evenly from light to dark. Avoid streaks, blotches, or uneven patches.  Evaluate your work by how smooth and consistent your transitions appear.

1. Spend the first 30 minutes doing the value scale and value transition exercises.
   
2. Spend 50 to 55 minutes drawing your object to the best of your current ability.  If you finish before your study session ends, draw it again until your time is up.  If you can’t finish within one session, continue working on it in the next. You can also take extra time if you want.
   
3. Reflect on your results and write about what went well and what you could improve next time.

Optional:

1. Share your weekly study plan in the #accountability channel on the course discord server.
   
2. Post your exercise results in the #exercises channel if you’d like feedback.
   
3. Share your drawing and photo in the #course-critique channel to get feedback from the community.

If you have any questions about the course, you can ask in the #course-help channel.