Reverse Value
Learning Objectives:
Students will be able to illustrate appropriate values for illustrated objects. Using charcoal and an eraser, students will demonstrate a reverse working process to aid in the development of illustrating correct tonal and value representation.
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Value is one of the seven elements of art and deals with the lightness or darkness of a color. Since we see objects and understand objects because of how dark or light they are, value is incredible important to art.
Value deals directly with light. We see things because light reflects off of objects and goes into our eyes. Our mind processes the light and rationalizes what we are seeing. Without light, we cannot see anything. In order to draw or paint in a way that creates an illusion of what we normally see, we must fully understand light and how it reacts on surfaces. Value is the key to the illusion of light. This is why value is so incredibly important to drawing and painting.
Materials:
- Charcoal
- White paper
- Kneaded eraser
- Chamois
- Blending stumps
- Paper towels
Sketchbook Mini-Assignment:
1. Set up a group of objects in your room. Light the group of objects with a lamp or a flashlight and turn off all the other lights. Make sure the room is completely dark except for the one light source. Using dark pencils, find the darkest blacks and build those up first. Gradually build up values until you have correct values and well rendered drawing.
Project:
Students will use an 18” x 24” sheet of paper. Students will cover the sheet of paper entirely with black charcoal. Make sure the students do not press down hard and are doing more blending than drawing. Each student chooses an object from the still life cabinet (avoid overtly simplistic or complicated objects). Students should try to arrange a direct light source to light the object.
Research:
Michelangelo, Rodin, Alberto Giacometti, Edward Degas
