Shades and Values; What's are They?
I've been told that the human eye can distinguish approximately 256 different colors and differentiate between 10 to 12 different shades. And that the computer can distinguish between millions. However, you'll probably get a much different estimate on what the human eye can actually see, one that will vary into the millions, depending the the sources that you consult.
And shades and values, as well as color, will vary not only from computer to computer, but from human eye to human eye as well. So how can you use shades and values in your artwork to complement a painting? And why is it important?
More than just what the human eye can see.....it's what makes art really art. It's what enhances a flat piece of paper and makes it something worth framing. It's what makes a mother place cherish her child's first attempts to reach reality in her son's drawings and what motivates the young artist to achieve perfection. It's what drives us to buy that perfect painting for our home. It's what makes each of us see something different in each and every piece of art we come across, the perceived sense of reality that each artist is trying to convey with their pencils and brushes using their colors and pigments, their array of shades, values and tints.
When direct light hits an object, several things happen. Not only to the object, but to the human eye as well. Relected light comes into place, and refracted light. Mixed colors on the color wheel and with the addition of white we now have tints. (Confusing, isn't it?) But our world is a colorful place and without it, less beatiful I think. So need to give color its due and treat it carefully when painting.
It's easier to begin in black and white with a simple chart of 10 shades beginning from black to white with 8 shades of gray. Once you have mastered those, and understood the values of grays, it's easier to move on to color :)
Visit www.armchairpaintclasses.com/articles/shades.html for a little bit more reading.
Madeleine Jacobs
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