1. VALUE or Tone Value/Tone refers to dark and light.
Changes in value help us see and understand a two dimensional work of art.
Lea Gobert

2. How to describe the Value
Value refers to how light or how dark an area is
Contrast in Value points to the differences of light and dark.
It is what allows us to see edges and shadows
Nik Massey

3. Value and Contrast High Value is lighter or closer to white
Low Value is darker and closer to black
High medium
medium low

4. Value and Contrast
This is a sample VALUE SCALE. Note the range of the colors from black to white and the many tones in between.
Contrast represents the difference in the values

5. Value and Contrast
The farther apart the values are on the scale, the stronger the contrast. Values that are closer are said to have a weaker contrast
Strong Contrast
Weak Contrast

6. Using value and contrast to create shape and form
Strong Contrast is an immediate change from light to dark, it can be used to create the illusion of an edge
Strong contrast represents the outside edge of the object.

7. Using value and contrast to create shape and form
Weaker contrast in value results in a slower change from light to dark. It creates the illusion of a curved 3-D surface.
Weaker contrast represents the contours of the object.

8. Using value and contrast to create shape and form
Light source
Light source
Highlight
Light (Transition)
Core Shadow
Reflected light
Cast Shadow
Value changes help us feel the roundness by showing us how light hits these forms. It helps suggest where the light is coming from and creates highlights and shadows

9. Nik Massey
The wide range of white, gray and black values, give this work a realistic sense of form. Using contrast in values with your drawing is a good way of showing light, reflection and shadows.

10. Color and Value
Color and value are closely related. Value refers to the lightness or darkness of a color too.
Some pure colors (like yellow) are high in value; others (like blue and red) are lower in value
In the image to the right, the colors we converted to black and white images so you could see their value

11. Color and Value
B and A are the same color, but have a strong contrast in value.
B and C have a strong contrast in color, but are nearly the same value.
When creating art, you should always consider the value before you consider the color. If the Value is correct, your brain will accept it, even if the color is unusual.

12. The benefits of knowing how to manage Value are very important to artists who work two-dimensional striving to make their subjects, or the objects in their work, "look" three- dimensional.
You might never consider using purple as skin color, but if the value is correct, it works.
Dellutri

13. Of all the Elements, Value is the most important in creating mood
Of all the Elements, Value is the most important in creating mood. Motion pictures and television employ value to create the proper mood for the story they are telling. For mystery, strong contrast and generally dark value is used. For comedy, generally less contrast and high values are used. For moods between the two, or mundane scenes, medium values are normally used.

14. Rembrandt is the master artist of Value
Rembrandt is the master artist of Value. He painted "The Anatomy Lesson" with the light shining on the people in the painting but originating from outside the painting. This creates a weaker contrast.

15. Then, with the "Night Watch," he used light values for what he wanted the viewer to see, and kept the other parts of the picture in dark values. This created a stronger contrast

16. Light effects a true three-dimensional object in unique ways
Light effects a true three-dimensional object in unique ways. Artists work hard to reproduce these light effects in their works, even though the drawing or painting is actually flat, two-dimensional.
Brook Welsh

17. Young artists who apprenticed with the great artists of Europe, spent months and years learning how to control Value. The study of drapery, or how to make folded cloth look real in a painting or drawings was a required exercise. Once mastered, the viewer would look at the work and be tricked into thinking that the picture actually had folded drapery.
Andrea Mategna
Dead Christ, 1490
Tempera on Canvas

18. Ben Merritt
Values can be exercised in all colors. The range of the values can be changed by adding white to lighten or tint a color.
Adding black will create a shade of the original color which will appear darker.
Painters will use Values to create a sense of space and form in their paintings. Having different Values gives a work of art interest. The viewer will look at a work of art longer if it contains elements that that will invite the human eye to look.

22. Emphasis: Focal Point
Visually, the focal point of an image is the place where your eyes are drawn to first. Usually the focal point will be the strongest contrast or the most striking color in the work. The focal point can also be reinforced by the implied lines guiding the viewer’s perspective.
Tara Bellusci

23. Where are your eyes drawn to first?
Where is the
focal point of
this image?