Apr 06 2009
Value? Shopping or Painting?
What is value to an artist? Think of the magical number 3: the symbolic meaning is well known to anyone who has read history or any bedtime stories for children.[1] Value in art, however, is a measure of light and dark. For the beginning artist, three values are recommended.[2] The human eye is amazing, when we look straight at an object, we see the colors of the object; if we look next to an object, we see the value (or how dark or light) of the object.
As with everything in life on this earth there are no absolutes; everything is a relative to something else:[3] Light only exists if dark also exists. Hence, the artist must now make shapes and symbols that are created of variations of light and dark to get the message across. It’s the same way in music, loud, soft, midtones; in writing, contrasts in the descriptions tell the story.[4]
The photos below (gray scale and color) show the contrasts in value, and why artists talk about a dark foreground with warm colors, a middle ground with warm (leading to cool) and lighter value, and finally the background with cooler and lightest values.[5] For example, the tree in the foreground is very dark – we see its color by looking right at it; we see its value (dark) by looking next to it. As we progress back to the middle ground, the value here is lighter than the foreground but darker than the background.
Fig. 1 Color Photo
Fig 2. Gray Scale
[1] The Trinity in some religions, the trinity in self-absorbed people, “I, Me and Mine,” Three Bears, Three Little Pigs, in fairy tales or fables.[2] This is open for discussion as well as disagreement. However, it’s an excellent way to start, and was for me in my studies. KISS – Keep it simple (you fill in the other word.)
[3] If the reader takes issue with this on Theological Basis, then you are missing the nature of the universe. I do not dispute the Theological claims; I just don’t argue it here.
[4] The opening line of “Tale of Two Cities” by Charles Dickens is a perfect example of this contrast.
[5] Now, having said all of that, is it possible to reverse the order entirely? Not if you want to get atmospheric depth: the more levels of atmosphere between you and your subject, the lighter and lighter (and cooler colors) you must use. Linear perspective is another topic.
