Sketching: Value

All images don't need to start with lines. This digital painting tutorial shows that some artwork starts with large brush strokes, and some of the reasons fo...

In the vocabulary of painting "value" refers to illumination. Light areas are high in value, dark areas are low in value. This video explores value sketching - in which a painter foregoes the line-drawing phase and skips straight to tone. If you've never done this sort of sketching before, it's a fantastic exercise!

From my experience, beginners are often taught to think in terms of line because pencils are so cheap and accessable. Working in value requires an artist to more carefully consider form and mass, which is a valuable way to think. Normally sketching in this way would require messy paints or charcoal, but working digitally makes using tone and value just as easy as lines.

Hard and Soft Shadow Edges

Realistic rendering often comes down to your ability to paint shadows. This video explores one simple aspect of shadows: hard and soft edges. --- Free Brushe...

Light and shadow reveal the form of an object. The way to create a likeness lies in the accurate depiction of shadows cast across form. So what should you look out for when painting light and shadow? This video explores shadows' tendency to have both hard and soft edges.

Note:  It's not clearly mentioned in the video, but this technique is only relevant in the case of strong directional lighting.  If you were looking at an object on a cloudy day, this principle would not apply.

Finally, if you want to know more about this topic you will enjoy the premium series available in the store: Basic Photoshop Rendering.