No doubt you have heard the word "value" thrown around among artists regarding artwork. However, do you know exactly what the word "value" means?

Value is a very important element of art. Value is simply a word used to describe how light or how dark a color is. Our eyes and our minds perceive the world around us based on lights and darks and how they relate to one another.
<h2>How to Measure Value</h2>
One way to measure value is by using a value scale. A value scale is usually a display of boxes with one color in the middle and variations of that color on either side. Progressively lighter versions of the color are on one side, and progressively darker versions of the color are on the other side. Below is a value scale for the color red...

***pic red value scale***

...and here is a value scale for blue...

***pic blue value scale***

...and another value scale for green.

***pic green value scale***

We call the lighter values <strong>tints</strong> and the darker values <strong>shades</strong>.

***pic tints and shades***
<h2>How a Value Scale Applies to a Drawing</h2>
Since drawing takes place on a two-dimensional surface of neutral color, it's up to the artist to create an illusion of three dimensions. That means the viewer of the artwork needs to perceive form and depth. Knowledge of the value scale and careful placement of tints and shades helps the artist to achieve this.

In general, you should use tints for highlights and shades for shadows.

One way  to simplify the vast array of values that could be present in a drawing is to use a five-value scale. The five values on this scale are used for specific areas of an object to help develop that three-dimensional form for the object.

For simplicity's sake, let's look at a drawing of a sphere to see how a five-value scale applies to it.

***pic sphere with labels***

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Highlight - area on an object where light is hitting directly. This area is typically indicated using the lightest values of a color.

Midtone - area of middle value

Core Shadow - area of shadow on the object. This area is typically indicated by the shades of the color.

Reflected Highlight - area on the object where light has reflected off of surrounding objects onto the surface.

Cast Shadow - area of shadow cast on surrounding objects.