Value Study Drawing Exercise

Lessons

About This Lesson Series...

The Value Study Drawing Exercise class is a focused lesson designed to strengthen one of the most important skills in drawing and painting: understanding value. This exercise-centered class helps artists learn how light and shadow work together to describe form, depth, and realism. By simplifying subjects into clear value relationships, you’ll gain greater control and confidence in your drawings.

Why Value Matters

Value is the foundation of strong artwork, regardless of the medium you use. In this class, you’ll explore how accurate value relationships are more important than fine detail or color. The lesson explains how artists can use value to create the illusion of three-dimensional form on a flat surface and how strong value structure leads to clearer, more convincing images.

Simplifying the Subject

A major focus of the exercise is learning how to simplify complex subjects into manageable value shapes. You’ll see how breaking an image into light, middle, and dark areas makes the drawing process more approachable. This simplification helps eliminate guesswork and allows you to focus on seeing and organizing values correctly before adding detail.

Step-by-Step Drawing Process

The class walks you through the value study step by step, beginning with establishing the lightest and darkest areas. You’ll learn how to gradually build midtones and refine transitions without overworking the drawing. This structured approach helps you develop patience and accuracy while maintaining clarity throughout the process.

Developing Observation Skills

This exercise encourages careful observation and comparison, teaching you to see subtle value changes that are often overlooked. By training your eye to recognize these differences, you’ll improve not only your drawing skills but also your ability to evaluate and correct your own work. These observation skills are essential for long-term artistic growth.

A Skill-Building Exercise for Any Medium

By the end of the Value Study Drawing Exercise class, you’ll have completed a clear and effective value study while gaining a deeper understanding of how values work. The skills developed in this lesson can be applied to drawing, painting, and mixed media, making it a valuable practice for artists at any level.

Specific Lessons

Lesson 1 (1:21:50)

In lesson one, we discuss the importance of value and practice observing and applying values using a classical subject for reference.

Homework (30:25)

For homework, we complete the third drawing with 6 values.

Resources for this Lesson...

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References

Photo Reference

Finished Result

Here's what you'll need...

• Graphite Pencils
• White Drawing Paper

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