Values

A DRAWING GUIDE

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How to use this guide
WELCOME TO THE GUIDEBOOK
It is a distillation of what I have found to be the most important considerations
when it comes to working with tonal values.

T H E R E A R E T H R E E PA R T S :
1 . Introduction – explanation of tonal values, range, and relativity.
2 . Values from Observation – how to organize values when working from life.
3 . Values from Imagination – how to invent values.

I hope you also enjoy the video lessons that are included with the guide package.

May these pages aid you in your journey.

– Dorian

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PA R T O N E

How to See Values

W H AT I S T O N A L VA L U E ?
Tonal Value is how dark or light a surface appears. Lightness and Brightness are
closely related or synonymous. In my experience, the word Value is widely used
in art instruction as a shorthand for Tonal Value.

W H Y A R E VA L U E S S O I M P O R TA N T ?
Just like a musician communicates through musical notes, a visual artist communicates
through tonal values. Values make an image understandable.

Adolf Hirémy-Hirschl, Random tonal values

The Souls of Acheron, 1898, making the image difficult
oil on canvas. to understand.

1
For the difference between “lightness”, “brightness”, and “value”, see this link: www.huevaluechroma.com/013.php.

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T H E VA L U E S C A L E
In nature, we see an enormous spectrum of brightness. The brightest thing we know
is the sun. On the other extreme is the complete absence of light you might find in a
pitch black cave. Similar to musical notes on a piano keyboard, we can place tonal values
on a scale. Such a value scale serves as a tool by which you can orient yourself.
I like a 9-step value scale because it has a clear center at value #5. A 9-step scale is also
employed in the Munsell color system that I have found useful in painting.

RANGE
Every medium has a different value range. For example, you can go darker with charcoal
than you can with a hard 2H pencil. In drawing, your medium (pencil, charcoal, etc.)
determines the dark extreme of the range, while the light extreme is set by the support
you work on (white paper, toned paper, etc.). In painting, the extremes are defined by
your darkest, and lightest pigments.

2H pencil

4B pencil

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VA L U E R E L AT I V I T Y
You may have found that it can be difficult to correctly identify a tonal value. This is partly
because our perception of any tone is very much affected by the surrounding tone.

Believe it or not, but these two tonal values are identical. Use the instructions in Part 3 of
this guide to make a value scale and check! It is going to be a powerful studio tool for you.

L O C A L VA L U E
Every material has a specific local value. I think of this as the average value in the lit part
of the object. Here are a few examples:

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PA R T T W O

Values from Observation

I often hear statements like this in the classroom: “As soon as I start shading, my
drawing becomes a mess!” If that sounds familiar, the strategy of Value Grouping
is going to help you.

When you draw from observation, your subject may contain many more different
values than you can possibly count. Just jumping into a drawing without a plan
often leads to confusion.

T H E VA L U E S T U D Y
A value study is a small preparatory sketch. I make it on the side of my page, once my
line drawing is done, but before shading an artwork. In a value study, I limit myself
to showing the entire image with 4-5 value groups, capturing the overall “effect”
of the subject. Whatever your subject is, you’ll never need more than 5 value groups
to create a useful summary.

A good value study looks like a simplified version of your subject. It correctly shows
the overall tonal relationships.

Left side: example of a value study

with 4 vale groups.

Important: Do not confuse the value scale

with value groups. The exact tonal values you
choose for your value groups are not limited to
the 9 tones on a value scale. Choose any tone
that most accurately summarizes the group of
similar tones in your image. A successful value
study establishes the proper value relationship
between groups. It accurately captures the
broad "effect" – the overall visual impression
of your subject.

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PA R T T H R E E

Values from Imagination

H A L F WAY- T O - B L A C K S H A D I N G
Creating values without reference can be a daunting task. It’s definitely a good test of
your understanding. The “Halfway-to-Black” (HTB) method is an excellent starting point
for inventing values.

Here is how it works: choose a light value, then travel halfway to black on your medium's
value range to find the corresponding shadow value.

1. Line Drawing 2. Choose a light value 3. Go halfway to black to find the shadow value

HTB SCALES
The Halfway-to-Black method gives you a
believable relationship between the light value
and shadow value on a material. The diagram to
the right shows this relationship, as a value scale
on the left, and as a value gradient on the right.

You can also think of the light value as a material’s

local value: the average tone in the lit areas.

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AMBIENT LIGHT AND AMBIENT OCCLUSION
Ambient light is usually present to some extent in any scene, indoors and outdoors.
Outdoors, it is light that has been scattered by the atmosphere and illuminates a scene
with soft light from the sky. Indoors, it is light bouncing around the room, also creating
soft, diffuse illumination. Ambient light creates an effect that is clearly distinguishable
from the effect of direct light such as sunlight or light coming from a lamp.

In those areas of an object that receive strong direct light, ambient light has little to no
effect on the values. But in the shadow areas, ambient light has two noticeable effects:
it determines how light or dark the shadows are overall, and it creates ambient occlusion
(AO) shadows. The three images below show varying amounts of ambient light: none on
the left, an average amount in the middle, and a high amount on the right.

Halfway-to-Black assumes an average amount of ambient light. If you want to make your
shading more realistic, consider the amount of ambient light present in the environment
your subject is in. In a brighter environment, all shadows will get lighter. In a darker
environment, all shadows will get darker. Ambient occlusion is present in each case,
and it is supremely useful in showing form within shaded areas.

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PA R T T W O

Good Habits

G R O U P VA L U E S
Simplify your image by organizing the values into 4 or 5 value groups.

U S E A VA L U E S C A L E
Create a 5-step or 9-step value scale for each medium you work in.
It’s your map – keep it handy and use it when you feel lost.

STEP BACK
Get physical distance from your work to see big tonal relationships.

SQUINT
Value relationships are easier to assess when you squint.

TA K E B R E A K S
Sometimes just taking a break is all that’s needed to refresh your eyes
and see mistakes. Make your breaks a conscious part of your process.
Drink some water, breathe, and move.

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Conclusion
W H AT T O D O N E X T
Thank you for reading the guide. I hope you gained new insights.
If you haven’t already done so, print the Cheat-Sheet and pin it up in your studio.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
If you want to learn more about realistic shading, see my other guides and course:
• The Accuracy Guide
• The Light Guide
• The Shading Course

You can also find various related articles at www.dorian-iten.com:

• Ambient Occlusion
• How to Make a Value Gradient
• How to Make a Value Scale
• Understanding Ambient Occlusion
• How to Create Smooth shading
• Shading Tips for Figure Drawing

THANK YOU
Thank you for reading this guide. If you've found it helpful, please encourage your peers
to get this guide and support my work.

Happy drawing!

– Dorian Iten
Surava, May 2021

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 About the Author

Dorian Iten draws, paints, sculpts and teaches.

He completed a classical painting education at Angel
Academy of Art in Florence, Italy and studied Entertainment
Art at The Art Department in the USA. Dorian has served
as the director of the Digital Art & Design program at
Barcelona Academy of Art and currently lives joyfully and
creatively in a small village in the Swiss mountains.

You can find his work and learn more about his projects at
DORIAN-ITEN.COM

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