Value
Color Perspective
Color has three natural characteristics:
1. Hue or tint of the actual color itself.
2. Intensity, strength, or saturation.
3. Value or lightness or darkness of a color.
Color value should not be confused with color perspective, which is the effect of distance created by using paler and less intense colors for far away elements. In this way the comparison of the colors in each plane can be kept in its proper 'perspective'.
In a landscape you might encounter the following color planes:
- Nearest sky overhead clouds
- Far away horizon sky
- Most distant background
- Closer background
- Foreground closest to you
Each perspective plane has its own color range or spectrum:
- Highlights
- Light Colors
- Median Color Base Half or Middle Tone
- Dark Colors
- Shadows
- Reflected Tones
The Color range compresses and simplifies with distance.
Silhouettes
Silhouettes are a powerful special effect for color because of their contrast.
They are an exception to the rules of color perspective. Color values do not change with distance (grow lighter) as with other light sources. If they are close enough to the primary light source they have no shadows, no reflected tones, and no highlights! Almost everything except the light source area turns black.
Silhouettes are very fast and easy to draw. They are also very forgiving and believable. Even the most complex subject is instantly simplified. They are a great way to learn any new subject since they force the artist to paint the entire underpainting in black.
Compositional Note: Silhouettes grow too big fast. Start slow and smaller than you think they should be. You can always enlarge them, but removing black from lighter colors is very difficult.
Exercises:#18
Light to dark tracing
This is a wonderful technique for high contrast subjects like waterfalls and silhouettes. Project a slide of a high contrast subject. Trace all the lightest colors on first. Blend them carefully where necessary. Always blend in a way that complements the tonal qualities, and directions of motion of your subject. Now go directly to black and carve carefully your darks. Blend the black smooth. Avoid smudging your lights. Add the other dark colors from dark to light in succession.
Exercise #18
Tonal color bars
Using 2 new sticks of chalk make a tonal bar about 18" wide and 3" tall. Show color pure on ends with smooth gradual blending between.. Rub in small one inch circles dark to light moving slowly from one color to the next without cleaning or wiping your hand.
| Primary | Complimentary | Favorites |
| Red and Yellow | Red and Green | Magenta and Purple |
| Red and Blue | Blue and Orange | Turquoise and Dark Blue |
| Yellow and Blue | Yellow and Purple | Flesh and Violet |
Exercise #19
Do the same exercise as above but blend from the dark end to the light end. Compare these to the above tonal bars. Notice how the dark - light bar appears brighter by contrast than the light to dark. Cover all but the same color on the two similar bars. Notice how that the by comparison they seem to reverse in contrast.
Exercise #20 Rainbows
Repeat the exercise above except with several colors arranged light to dark. Make each rainbow at least 24" wide and each color band at least 6" wide. Try the following rainbows then make up some of your own:
White \ Yellow \ Yellow-Orange \ Orange \ Red-Orange \ Red
White \ Light-Flesh \ Flesh \ Light Brown \ Brown \ Dark Brown
White \ Light Blue \ Turquoise \ Medium Blue \ Dark Blue \ Purple
White \ Yellow \ Red \ Flesh \ Light Blue \ Dark Blue
Flesh \ Light Magenta \ Magenta \ Purple \ Blue \ Dark Blue
Exercise #21
Knife Painting
Knife paint an entire picture of a landscape with mountains, trees and lake using only one new white stick of chalk and dipping it into left over chalk dust. Experiment and have fun with it. You can do entire pictures this way with surprisingly detailed results.
SELF TEST
Match the appropriate answer from the list below in the blanks in each statement.
1. ______________ makes colors more believable.
2. ________________ is the color that shows distance.
3. You can not show light without ___________________.
4. ________________ makes colors seem the brightest by contrast.
5. Everything in this world is a part of ___________________.
6. The paper becomes the mixing place for color or the _______________.
7. The finger are used like _________________ is in painting.
8. The 2 stages in Chalk are the layering stage and the ___________ stage.
9. For highlights, the first touch is perfect, the second touch ____________.
10. God works from darkness to ________________________.
LIST: A. light B. ruins it C. blending
D. the brush E. the palette F. the rainbow
G. black H. dark blue I. gray
(The reverse the list at the bottom of the previous page and you will find the answers to the self test.)
Summary
The primary goal of art is not just to provide an accurate record of what's there (realism or naturalism). Our tactile study of realism through the creative continuum has provided three tools essential for effective communication:
(1) perception
(2) confidence
(3) creative problem solving or interpretation
Anyone can guess at a problems answer, but an educated guess or a hypothesis can better. In art we need both guesses and educated guesses.
Each dimension is a powerful style complete in itself! This means you now have 4 powerful tools to dissect any new subject. Use 1 dimension, 4 dimensions or any combination of the 4 in any order you wish. To illustrate this notice what each dimension adds to a subject.
| In A Portrait | In A Landscape | |
| First Dimension | Resemblance | Realistic Details |
| Second Dimension | Profile | Forms and Subjects |
| Third Dimension | Angle and Position | Panorama and Depth |
| Fourth Dimension | Highlights and Reflection | Glow and Values |
Remember:
Realism is only one stage to be passed through to reach the actual goal of communication. It is the objective stage. Next, in chapter 4 we will explore the subjective possibilities for communication.
The rough outline of the four dimensions are like the dry bones of Ezekiel's vision. The question is, "Can these bones live?" The answer is, "No", if you stop here. Now ,we need to put some meat on these bones. Bones are important. They hold you together. But no one wants to see them sticking out of your arm!
Art must become a spiritual passion, a real living, breathing structure, not a dry dead outline of scientific formulas, art fundamentals and laws. I call this Quickening, or making alive of the Continuum. It is as easy and miraculous as breathing!
Each of us has part of the Creator of this universe in us! A passions for His handiwork and love for His design changes formula to flesh. We discover a passion higher than any man made rules that frees us from form and makes it fun.