Gray scale values can be boring to study if you love color and texture and details.
But it is probably the most important element of design to understand and use in your art making.
With mixed media printmaking and lots of colors and layers, it is easy to end up with one middle value and not much contrast.
I always chant to myself:
- Save some very light whites or
- Add a dark black to make it pop
Another tool that I use is that I squint at the piece to see if I can see those extreme lights or darks. Or do I see only a middle range of values. Squinting is a quick way to simplify and see the extremes.
Try squinting a the pieces above or at some of your work and see what you notice about light to dark value changes.
Oh another fun way to increase you value seeing skills it to squint at masterpieces that you admire. Ask, do these masterpieces have a range of value from very light to very dark?
If you would like to explore printmaking – check out the current online printmaking classes.