What value is
Value is how light or dark a color is, regardless of its hue. A pale yellow and a pale blue can have a similar value, even though their hues are very different. Value is what makes objects look three-dimensional, creates depth, and helps the eye find the focal point.
Many painters find that value does more work than color. A painting with a clear structure of lights and darks can still look convincing if the colors are a little off, while a painting with beautiful colors but weak values can look flat. The same principle applies in other media; see value in oil painting.
How water controls value in watercolor
Watercolor is transparent, so you generally do not lighten a color by adding white paint. Instead:
- Light values come from diluting pigment with more water, so the paper shows through.
- Dark values come from using more pigment and less water, or from layering several washes.
- The lightest lights are usually the white of the paper itself, which is left unpainted (reserved).
Because the paper is your lightest value, it pays to decide in advance where it will stay white. Also note that watercolor usually dries lighter than it looks while wet, so beginners often paint too pale. Testing on scrap paper helps. For more on pigment and water balance, see mixing colors in watercolor.
Make a value scale
A value scale is a strip of steps from the lightest to the darkest tone you can make with a single pigment.
- Draw a row of five to nine squares.
- Leave the first square as bare paper.
- Paint a very dilute wash in the second square, then gradually increase the pigment in each next square.
- Make the last square as dark as the paint allows.
- Compare the steps and adjust until the changes look even.
Doing this with a few of your pigments also reveals which ones can reach a deep dark and which stay relatively light.
Plan with value thumbnails
Small value studies are one of the most useful planning tools. Draw a few thumbnails, each only a few inches wide, and fill in the main shapes with simple tones. A common approach is to limit yourself to three values: the white of the paper, a middle tone and a dark. Some painters use five. Limiting values forces you to simplify and decide what matters.
Use the thumbnails to test different arrangements before committing to the final painting. This links directly to composition in watercolor, since the pattern of lights and darks is part of the layout.
How to check value
It can be hard to judge value when color is distracting. A few simple methods help:
- Squint at your subject or painting. Details and color blur, and the main light and dark shapes stand out.
- Take a grayscale photo of your reference or your painting, using a phone’s black-and-white filter.
- Compare to your value scale by holding it next to an area and seeing which step it matches.
- Step back. Viewing the painting from a distance often shows weak values quickly.
Value versus color
When a passage looks wrong but you cannot say why, the problem is often value rather than color. If a red flower looks dull against a green leaf, they may simply be too close in value. Adjusting one so it is clearly lighter or darker often fixes the problem without changing the hue. Our color theory guide explains how hue, value and saturation fit together.
Using value to guide the eye
Viewers tend to look first at the area of strongest contrast. Placing your lightest light next to your darkest dark at the focal point draws attention there. Lower contrast in the rest of the painting keeps those areas from competing. Value also creates depth: distant objects usually appear lighter and lower in contrast than close ones, which connects to perspective in watercolor.
The 70/30 idea
You may come across a “70/30 rule” in painting. It is usually a loose guideline that one thing should dominate the picture, for example roughly 70 percent of the painting in light or middle values and about 30 percent in darks, rather than an even split. It is a starting point, not a requirement, and artists apply it in different ways. The goal is simply to avoid giving every value equal weight.
Common mistakes
- Painting everything in the middle values, so the picture looks gray and flat.
- Going too pale because of watercolor’s dry-down.
- Adding the darks too early or all over, which can crowd the focal point.
- Painting over reserved whites and having no light left.
- Relying only on hue to separate objects.
A note on what sells
Readers sometimes ask which watercolors sell best. There is no reliable single answer, since it varies by market, audience and presentation. Strong value structure and a clear focal point generally make a painting easier to read, which is a helpful quality in any setting.
Practice
Choose a simple subject such as a pear or a single tree. Make three small value thumbnails with three values each, pick the strongest, and paint it. Then take a grayscale photo and compare it to your plan. Over time, the habit of planning values becomes quick and automatic. For a wider practice plan, see how to improve your painting.