Whether you are working with acrylic paints, pastels, watercolour, or graphite, a shift in the value of colour tells you about the light source, depth, and focal point. The value in art indicates lightness or darkness in colour; it shows the shift between white and black, where every shade is arranged on a gradient scale. Artists make use of the value of colour to create illusions of mass and volume.
Value is the element that dictates how light or dark a colour can appear. The value of colour can be visualised in a gradient where it displays a series of variations across hues arranged from lightest to darkest. The scale of value starts from the lightest (white) and moves between two extremes of the scale, from shades of grey to darker.
What Is Value in Art?
Before the existence of an art market, art had more symbolic or spiritual significance to the communities that made it. In 1907, the American painter Denman Ross introduced a value that is applied to determine the colour shade scale, ranging from the lightest shade to the darkest shade.
Depending on the shade, the colour appears lighter or darker; it shows a standard variation in tone. The lightening or darkening of the tone influences the saturation, and it adds to the dilution of colour. Value can be measured through socio-economic, spiritual, therapeutic, political and other parameters.
Value in art is not about monetary worth; it represents the lightness or darkness of colour between a scale of white and black, where every shade is arranged on a gradient value scale, and colours of different value in art interact with one another.
High-value contrast shows dark and light shades, generating a dramatic and intense impact. Low-value contrast, on the other hand, varies from colours of similar lightness and produces a subtle, tranquil, and occasionally ethereal image.
There are an infinite number of values in nature, but human vision cannot interpret the full range that exists in nature. Drawing tools, pencil and paper, can create a limited value range from white to black, which is called the value scale.
The scale consists of three light values (values from 1 to 3), three middle values (values from 4 to 6, which are also called the half tones) and three dark values (ranging from 7 to 9). The value scale is the gradation, and in drawing the values on the value scale, it becomes the visual alphabet.
A 10-step Guide to Understanding the Value of Art
Whether you have a piece of art or you want to buy one from the best art galleries or auction houses, or if you are a collector, you must know the exact value of art. The ten parameters which can be used to judge the value of art are given here.
1. Authenticity, skill and expression of deep subjects – Any piece of art requires verification for genuineness in the most basic manner. To buy a valuable artwork, you must look for the real material used in the painting, such as the paper and the characteristics of the canvas.
2. Trends – The artwork depicting a trend belonging to a specific era, the trend that is cyclical or related to a revolutionary phase in history or those that are relevant to the people, some with bold patterns, colourful depiction or animal pictures or nature are considered valuable.
3. Condition – The physical state of the art and the preservation techniques from the day it was created and presented represent the value. The art that retains its original state, or the one that endures multiple weather cycles and extreme temperatures without cracking, is considered valuable.
4. Rarity – Rare artwork and a part of a collection often translates into high-value art pieces. Some rare old artworks are difficult to obtain in proper condition; such works command a higher value.
5. Provenance – The works that have unique patterns or depict relevant stories or events create interest in the art market.
6. Historical value – Some paintings display historical sequence, details of a political event or hidden messages about a social situation and such paintings with relevant messages are considered valuable.
7. Medium of art – The visual effect created by the medium determines the value in art. A painting that is properly preserved is typically oil or canvas, or in a desirable medium, followed by acrylics on canvas or a mixture of oil and acrylics, which have higher values.
8. Size – The size of a painting is linked to its inherent attributes, and it matters in terms of valuation. Some Chinese historical artworks that are small are valued higher; at the same time, art from the post-independence era is larger and considered desirable.
9. Series of paintings – Some historically known artists create a series of paintings, and many such popular high-value paintings were created during the peak of the artist's career.
10. The artwork which follows a natural progression of expression and those that depict deeper emotion or subjects, or the painting made on an innovative medium, or those belonging to a sequence of historically relevant paintings are more valued than others.
Elements Of Art Value
Value in art is an important art element that provides a visual character to the artwork. It creates a depth and three–dimensional look due to shading and highlighting. Value in art adds emphasis and contrast, giving the visual depiction a purpose that extends beyond the formal art elements, such as shape, space, texture, form, line, or colour.
Value Definition in Art
Value is one of the seven elements of art alongside shape, line, texture, form and colour. It refers to the way light or dark visual compositions are depicted. It is often called the lightness or darkness of a painting, drawing, graphic design or watercolour. The art element value is best understood as a scale or a gradient.
There are many different types of value in art, which range from the lightest value, which is the high-key value range, to the middle-key values and the darkest values, which are understood as the low-key value range. Value in art is described as grayscale, featuring different gradients that range from white to grey and then to black.
Types Of Value In Art
There are mainly three components of colour – hue, saturation and value. Value is how light and dark colours are used, and there is a range of values used between the two main colours. If you convert an old painting to monochrome, you can see the values without the hues and saturation.
Values in art are used to depict mood and atmosphere, where darker tones show tension and lighter tones depict calm. Mostly, there are three types of value structure: high key, low key and high contrast.
The terms high-key and low-key refer to the predominant values in a scene. High-key art is used for mid-to-light tones, and low-key art is used for a range of values from mid-to-dark. High contrast refers to artwork which uses a full range of values from bright highlights to dark tones.
In short –
High-key colours – High-key colours start with white and end on the palest colour of the gradient scale.
Low-key colours - Low-key key contain black, and they are at the darker end of the gradient scale.
High contrast - Some combinations of colours are high contrast, such as dark and light blue.
Low contrast - Some of the low contrasts are slightly different from one another.
Value In Art Examples
Some of the value in art examples are mentioned here.
On the grayscale, the lightest or whitest tints are considered to be “high–key” colour ranges and the darker ones are termed as “ low-key”, while others are “mid-range” or the “middle-key.”
One example of a low-key value is “A Dinner Table at Night” (1884) by John Singer Sargent, which depicts two people sitting at a table, with the room dark except for three lit lamps with reddish lampshades. The walls are a shade of red, and together, the lamps create a cosy, warm ambience.
The founder of impressionist painting, Claude Monet’s Waterloo Bridge, Sunlight Effect (1903) depicted the Waterloo Bridge in different conditions, more specifically in fog. The painter made use of light colours to depict the light, soft, pale, and atmospheric effects, which included blues, pinks, purples, and other hues like yellow.
The artist Daniel Ridgway Knight used the full range of values in his painting compositions. In the painting “The Shepherdess of Rollebois(1896)”, one can see a classic use of values for landscape paintings where the background is light-toned and the middle and foreground objects are darker as they come closer.
The painting is known for its darkest value in art, where the Shepherdess is framed against a light-valued sky.
Homage to the Square: Wondering by Josef Albers (1964) depicts many variations of colour, overlapping squares of different colours, while it depicts a progression of the hue of yellow through four key colours.
The painting by Gustav Klimt, called “The Kiss (1907-1908)”, makes use of extremely high range values against a contrasting background.
The painting by Jacques-Louis David, “The Death of Marat (1793)”, makes use of a cold range of hues in mid to dark values to bring out the muted and sober effect.
Value Art Drawing
Value art drawing is a black and white drawing. Value sketching is the method adopted by artists to draw light, mid-tones, and dark shades, where they use black, white, and grey tones in between to create light, contrast, and shades in a piece of work.
It helps to create a special effect, mood, atmosphere, or believable space, where there is no colour, only black, white, and many shades of grey in between. Value drawing creates the illusion of form and three-dimensionality, and the relationship between the values of an object makes the drawing look more realistic.
8 Values of Art
The eight values of art include –
1. Aesthetic value - It is the value that causes an object to be a work of art.
2. Intellectual value - Intellectual value stimulates thoughts.
3. Suggestiveness- It is the quality which is associated with the emotional power of art, for example, Juan Luna's Spoliarium.
4. Spiritual value - It elevates the spirit of the art by bringing in the moral values.
5. Endurance - A great artwork is known for endurance, something which can be viewed again and again.
6. Universality: Great artworks are known for times and timely appeal to one and all.
7. Style: Artworks are known for their style, the way the artist views the subject and expresses their ideas on the canvas.
8. Form: Form or shapes is the arrangement which is used to depict the framework of the art piece.
Value Element of Art Example
Value in art refers to the defining element of the composition of an art piece, which gives the work some depth, balance and contrast.
Value refers to the seven elements of art, including shape, line, form, colour, texture, space, and it defines how an artist captures the way light hits an object to create highlights and shadows, volume, texture or depth. The value in art can be visualised on a grayscale where tints are the lightest and shades are the darkest sections of the artworks.
Various elements of art are used to create a balance in certain ways. For instance –
- Colour comes into play due to its value; darker colours are considered visually heavier in weight as compared to lighter colours. Black is the darkest colour and the heaviest in weight, while the lightest colour has the lightest weight.
- Saturation and hues play a role in determining balance. More saturated colours are heavier than neutral colours. Warm colours such as yellow, orange and red have more visual weight as compared to cool colours like blue, green and purple. Also, the opaque areas in a painting have more visual weight than the transparent areas.
- Certain shapes, like squares, have more weight than circles.
- Thick lines have more weight than thin lines, and a shape or form created with texture has more weight, while the placement of shapes and objects towards the edge or corner of the composition gives it more weight.
Colour And Value in Art
Colour can be confused with value because the intensity of colour determines the way the light or dark appears in the work. Various other distinguishing factors can be used to create colour values, such as tint, tone, and shade.
Value in art determines the lightness or darkness of a colour, so a low–intensity colour could appear lighter because of dullness, and a high-intensity colour may appear darker due to brightness. Colour saturation is described as pureness of colour, neutral, mixed, or muted colour.
On a grayscale colour, with white and black hues opposite to each other, may come with different gradations from lightest to darkest. Value in art is also modified when the colour is mixed with white, which is often called ‘tint’, and black can be used to make a ‘shade.’
Why Is Value Important in Art?
Value is an important element because it adds a different appearance to the artwork. It is used to create highlights and shadows, providing depth and three–dimensional effects.
The engravings of The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (1498), Adam and Eve (1504), and Saint Jerome in His Study (1514) depict tonal contrasts, where light and dark areas are used to give the composition life and a sense of movement to the artwork. The background remains dark from where the horsemen emerge into the scene.
The way the value in art is used in painting is often described as a balance of high, low, and middle key value, which means there should not be too much of low-key value or high-key value.
One of the examples depicting the dominance of middle key value is John Singer Sargent’s watercolour and graphite Military Camp (1918), where there are no distinct dark areas, and he uses dark values strategically to show the shadows of trees and coaches.
Value in art has a focal point to depict the contrasts of light and dark. It can be seen in Francisco Goya’s The Third of May 1808 (1814). The left part of the composition has lighter shades, and the right is darker in shade.
The shading patterns are applied to draw attention to the main source of light. The painting depicts a man standing with his arms outstretched, facing the men on the right, creating an interplay of light and dark that conveys a tense mood.
Value coupled with colour creates a calm and peaceful mood, which makes for a dramatic painting.
The Artist’s Use of Value in Art
The artists must master the value in Art, which is paramount in creating a realistic sense of light in a painting. It enables artists to accurately depict the effects of light and shadow, thereby enhancing the depth and dimension of their work.
An artist can skillfully manipulate light and dark values to create an illusion of three-dimensional or two-dimensional surfaces. The direction and intensity of light in a painting define the form and textures of objects, and they establish the atmosphere and mood for the scene.
For instance, a strong light source and positioning of objects map out the space where they exist, and a soft light source creates a gentle gradient of light and dark shade. The contrast between light and shadows guides the viewers to a focus point.
Value And Balance in Art
Value and balance in art show a balance between light and shadow, which indicates one object ends and the other begins. Value describes the highlight on a piece of glass or the shadow.
Balance in art is the basic principle of design along with contrast, rhythm, movement, pattern, emphasis, unity and variety. Balance is used to relate each element within the composition, be it a line, shape, colour, value, space, form or texture. Balance in visual weight is used to create a visual equilibrium.
In a three-dimensional work, balance is created by gravity, and it is something which is a fulcrum that raises one object or another.
In two dimensions, artists rely on the visual weight of elements, and a balanced work is created when the visual weight is distributed evenly across the composition, where each element remains stable, pleasing, and the viewer feels comfortable.
Symmetrical balance is created by radial symmetry and repeated patterns. An asymmetrical balance counterbalances the different elements that have equal visual weight or physical weight.
“The Last Supper” by the Italian Renaissance painter Leonardo da Vinci(1452 -1519) is an example of an artist’s creative use of asymmetrical balance.
One of the examples of asymmetrical balance in art is Vincent van Gogh's "The Starry Night" (1889), where the dark triangular shape of the trees on the left side of the painting is counterbalanced by the yellow circle of the moon in the upper right corner.
Value And Contrast, Unity In Art
Realist artists represent the natural world as it appears to the eye, and they often display details for accuracy in their portrayal of people, objects and landscapes. Realists use a high level of value contrast to depict the way light interacts with objects in the real world. They use value contrast to give their artworks greater depth and form.
Contrast plays a crucial role in striking a balance between variety and unity. A proper use of contrast allows the artist to create unity and variety. Still, they must choose elements carefully, like low contrast to maintain the unity or high contrast to introduce variety.
Unity can be created through low contrast, where elements share similar characteristics, promoting a sense of unity. Low contrast helps visual elements build a relationship among themselves, providing a sense of coherence. Similar colours, values, shapes, and textures can be used to create harmony, allowing all elements to form a unified whole.
High contrast can be created by incorporating elements which are visually distinct and different in colour, texture, shape, or values. High contrasts break the monotony of the creation, ensuring continued engagement with the work.
Understanding Value and Tone for Better Painting
The term tone in art can be used to refer to different aspects of a painting. The word global tone is used to represent the overall impression of colour when considering the painting as a whole. On the other hand, local tone refers to the lightness or darkness of specific areas within the artwork.
Local tone can be used to emphasise certain subjects or create contrast within the composition. For instance, Sunflowers (1889) by Van Gogh shows a global tone, while The Starry Night (1889) by Van Gogh exemplifies local tones.
Experts believe that there is no light or dark colour in a painting; it is the brightness or darkness of colour which can influence the mood and emotion, and the use of tone adds depth and life to a painting. Tone works in relation to the lightness or darkness of a colour, and it can be used to build a mood or emotion.
Tone in art refers to the value or character of colour, which is vital for artists, allowing them to create a powerful composition that can evoke strong emotions. Tones are mainly categorised into dark tones, mid-tones and light–tones.
These tones enable the artist to convey a range of emotions, adding depth to the artwork. Dark tones create drama, and lighter tones draw attention to specific points against the dark background.
Many 19th-century artists utilised tones found in nature and landscapes to convey various emotions. For instance, the painting “Water Lilies" (1906) by Claude Monet depicts a light, soft pastel tone, with water lilies floating on a tranquil pond that reflects sunlight.
In Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa (1503-1519), a mid–tone can be seen, where a subtle gradation of light and shadow is evident on the face of the character, creating a sense of depth and a lifelike appearance.
While Rembrandt's The Night Watch (1642) displays a dark tone with rich shadows and dramatic contrast between the well-lit figures and the dark background, it adds intensity to the scene.
