from Skip Whitcomb

Understanding contrast and value in painting is crucial for creating a piece that grabs people's attention. These tools help us convey our ideas clearly and make our  paintings visually interesting. Before we start painting, we need to plan and understand our value patterns and contrasts.

Let’s look at some examples to illustrate these concepts. Edward Compton’s painting shows how he uses high contrast to lead the viewer’s eye. In his late-day scene, a snowbank in the foreground draws attention to the area with the highest contrast—the darkest dark against the lightest light. This creates a focal point, making the painting more engaging. In the background, Compton varies the values subtly, which continues to add depth to the scene.

When planning a painting, it’s helpful to decide whether the overall composition will be high contrast or low contrast. High contrast paintings often have a dramatic feel, with bold differences between light and dark areas. Low contrast paintings, in contrast, tend to be more subtle and harmonious, with gentle transitions between values.

David Davies’ evening painting shows a low-key, close-value approach. He uses mostly three values, or shades, to create a calm and unified scene. The dark tree line contrasts with the light of the moon, which is echoed subtly throughout the landscape. Davies also softens the edges of objects, blending them into the background to show the mood he wants to perceive. 

Edges also play a crucial role in how values and contrasts are perceived. Softening the edges where light and dark areas meet can create a more natural and integrated look, while sharp edges can emphasize and draw attention to specific elements.

Another effective way to practice using values is to create a value study before starting the final painting. This involves mapping out the major light and dark areas using just a few shades of gray. This preliminary step helps in visualizing the overall composition and ensuring the value pattern is strong. Let’s look at this again with Compton’s piece above, but instead changing to black and white to see those light and dark areas:

Understanding and using contrast and value in your paintings can make them more captivating. By planning your value patterns and contrasts carefully, you can create compositions that stand out and draw viewers in. Remember, the way your light and dark areas are arranged is the first thing people notice, so it’s important to get it right.

Skip's mentoring course offers personalized guidance, insightful critiques, and a wealth of knowledge drawn from his extensive experience as a professional artist: