Helpful Tools for Mastering Value
With intentional practice over a period of time, artists improve their mastery of value, learning to discern the relative lightness or darkness of shapes and forms with increasing sensitivity. On the way towards mastery, the right tools are invaluable. To help you on your journey, we have a selection that will train your sensitivity to values and help you master your medium. Do you use any of these tools in your own work, or are there any you would suggest? Feel free to leave a note in the comments section below!
Color Evaluator
Color evaluators like this filter the light from your subject through red or green screens. Removing the hue and saturation of your subject’s color can be an effective way of isolating its value to see subtle differences between light and dark.
Great for
Artists of all kinds
Gray Scale and Value Finder
Value finders are somewhat standard features in many kits to assist artists. They allow you to directly compare colors in your subject to an established value on the card, which can then help you target a specific value when mixing paint. For those of you familiar with the Munsell System, the one featured here could fit nicely into your mixing system.
Great for
Painting or sketching from life.
Grey Scale Markers
There’s something powerful about working with grey-scale permanent markers, as they force artists into making decisions about value. Creating sketches and studies with these markers can be an effective way to establish a basic value plan and composition. They also work great for final works!
Great for
Sketches
Studies
Urban sketching
Drawing and more
About the Brush Rack
This innovative brush rack stores up to 28 brushes in various-sized holes, from ½” diameter to ¾” diameter. It also includes eight hanging/drying slots with foam grips. A clear acrylic base protects against drips.
Easy Assembly | Easy-View Racks | Easy to Clean
Mezzo Artist Rotating Brush Rack
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Share your comments below! If you use any of these tools, tell us what you think! What others would you recommend?
Meet the Artist
Scott Maier is an artist and a content contributor to artistsnetwork.com. He’s also the author of the instructional art book See, Think, Draw: An Easy Guide for Realistic Drawing and Beyond.
NOOOO!!! Determining and mastering value is THE most important aspect of making art. I can’t believe you are promoting a device that LIES about value! Your red ‘color evaluator’ will tell you that green is black; your green one will tell you that red is black. Both will screw up the relative value determination of any scene with red or green in it. Why don’t you sell a neutral gray ‘evaluator’ that would darken all colors equally and give you a reliable reading? Or just squint your eyes.
Thanks for your feedback, Charlene! I agree that you should never rely on the information directly from these tools, but I’ve found it helpful to approach value relationships from multiple angles. Squinting, indirect looking, and these other tools are all ways for me to explore value relationships to see if it opens up new ways for thinking about the subject.
What about Notanlyzer? It allows you to get a B&w of your jpg with up to 9 values.
Where did you get that sketch board? It’s exactly what I was looking for.
Hi Dwight!
This still image was taken from a video we shot with Aaron Schuerr. If I remember correctly, he said this was one of the products made by the Plein Air painter, Joshua Been: https://www.prolificpainter.com/shop/daytripper-starter-package/. I’ve noticed that some of the products on the site are’t displaying properly, but I imagine he’ll be able to help you out if you shoot him an email.
Thank you.