Value study from a photo
Light, middle and dark: the picture before the colour.
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Up to 3 files per runUp to 20 MB per file10 runs per dayRemove limits with Pro✓ Works offline
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This tool runs entirely in your browser. Nothing is uploaded, nothing is stored, and you can even turn off your internet connection before you start.
How it works
- Add your reference photo.
- Start with three values; try two to see the big design.
- Simplify a lot to see shapes rather than details.
- Make the study and keep it beside your painting.
Frequently asked questions
- Why do painters make value studies?
- Because values carry a picture: if the lights and darks are right, the colour can be almost anything and it still reads. A small study in three values shows whether the composition works before any paint is mixed.
- What is notan?
- A study in two values, light and dark only, from Japanese design. It shows the big pattern of a picture at a glance.
- Why does my dull photo still get black and white?
- The values are taken from the photo's own range, from its darkest to its lightest, so a grey, hazy picture is spread out to full contrast. That is what you want for planning.