25 Days to Better Drawings: Value
This course features:
10 Hours of Instruction
25 Videos
24 eBooks
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Lesson Description
In this module, we're introduced to the element of art, value. Learn its importance to drawing, proper terminology, and blending techniques.
Lesson Materials
Graphite drawing pencils: H, HB, 2B, 4B, gray drawing paper, white charcoal pencil, and a blending stump.
Lesson Resources
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Course Curriculum
Lesson 1: Materials and Mindset (10:07)Lesson 2: Drawing with Lines (25:29)Lesson 3: Drawing Ellipses (18:26)Lesson 4: Drawing with Shapes (15:56)Lesson 5: Line Quality (13:10)Lesson 6: Cross Contour Lines (11:32)Lesson 7: Shading with Line (38:49)Lesson 8: Value (10:52)Lesson 9: Light and Shadow (11:58)Lesson 10: Drawing Basic Forms (17:25)Lesson 11: Drawing with Forms (21:12)Lesson 12: Texture Study #1 (28:54)Lesson 13: Texture Study #2 (49:20)Lesson 14: Texture Study #3 (17:31)Lesson 15: The Illusion of Space (16:33)Lesson 16: One Point Perspective (46:39)Lesson 17: Two Point Perspective (48:35)Lesson 18: Three Point Perspective (54:30)
Lesson 19: Sighting, Measuring, and Mapping (10:02)Lesson 20: Positive and Negative Space (8:13)Lesson 21: The Grid Technique (11:07)Lesson 22: Basic Facial Proportions (41:52)Lesson 23: Figure Drawing (1:03:53)Lesson 24: Drawing in Reverse (16:29)Lesson 25: Conclusion / Final Exercise (3:56)
how can we make value scale on white paper without using charcoal pencil?
Hi Sapna,
Simply adjust the amount of pressure that you place on the pencil to create lighter values, allowing the white of the paper to affect the value. You can also use harder and lighter graphite pencils to create lighter values. You can see how this is accomplished in the module from “Pencil Drawing – The Guide to Graphite”…https://thevirtualinstructor.com/members/the-guide-to-graphite-graphite-grades-and-sharpening/
great help n info.thnx a lot.
Interesting to use white charcoal pencil to provide different tints – my current mentor is an accomplished graphite artist who abhors using anything other than graphite and the paper for tonal variation.
Hi Marise,
That’s unfortunate. In my opinion, it’s little narrow-minded to “abhor” any form of art other than the form that you prefer to create.
Matt,
What would you recommend for charcoal pencils? Brand? Type? etc.
i use NYONI brand
found it on amazon under color charcoal pencils….
good price for 8.
Still I want to buy some gray paper to get the most out of them!
Have fun with art!
Id like to see a demo of translating the gray scale to cad red, or ultramarine, or cad yellow.
Hi Mike, is there any difference, using a toned tan paper will make? I’m out of gray, lol.
Also, I have a white pastel pencil but not charcoal. Can I use it in the same way as white charcoal?
The tonal tool is such a great exercise well worth doing , so useful thank you for this ! You explain things so well ! Thank Matt !
Regards Jan
Thank you Matt. I found this helpful. I just began drawing in the Spring and don’t have any experience using charcoal. My white charcoal pencil does not seem to lay down the charcoal easily and I have to play with it. any ideas?
Hi Maureen,
This could be due to the paper you are using or if there is too much graphite already on the surface. White charcoal doesn’t easily spread over graphite applications. It’s best to apply the white graphite first and then push values darker with the graphite pencil.
thank you This does help. This is a new white charcoal pencil and it was the first time that I used white charcoal. I seemed to have less trouble the with the white charcoal when I practiced the following day
Matt, shouldn’t one of the values be the bare paper? I thought that was the point of using colored paper. Or am I getting ahead of myself?
Hi Margaret,
You could leave a section open if you wish but the gray will likely be a different temperature and will look out of place.
I’m not getting much of difference between 4B and 2B and between 2B and HB. I tried a different brand of pencils but still pretty much the same: it seems I can only get a smooth transition by varying the pressure which seems to defeat the purpose of using different B’s.
On the hand, the “jump” in value between HB and the ‘middle Grey’ is wide. I got better results with using HB for the first grey and the using the H for the others.
I like the white charcoal approach on the grey toned paper,
I must say the Derwent pencils are much darker then my EberharsFaber ones, so i made a second swatch with the Mars Lumograph black.
but when first putting the white charcoal and then the H it git scrachy while blending, nit smooth.
Now up to the vorms
is it normal that my HB is significantly darker than my 2B? th HB is staedler HB2 and and the 2b is a faber castell 9000, its driving me nuts
is it normal that my HB is significantly darker than my 2B? th HB is staedler HB2 and and the 2b is a faber castell 9000, its driving me nuts…
Which brand of graphite drawing pencils you would recommend?
Blending the white charcoal with graphite to achieve the lighter values was a new technique for me. Enjoyed the results!
I’m using Staedtler Mars Lumograph pencils and the value scale was a disaster. 4B, 2B, and HB all looked the same. I redid it and got much better results with 6B, 2B, 2H, and 3H.