Understanding Light and Shade for Drawing and Watercolor
Lifelong Learning

Understanding tonal value-degrees of lightness to darkness-is one of the most important lessons you need to create convincing paintings. "Painting the light" is often the primary goal of many artists. In order to do this, you need to understand tonal value. Understanding values, how to differentiate light from shade in your subject, understanding the atmospheric qualities of what you are painting, and noting the quality of the edge between the values are all valuable primary skills artists use to convince you of the form and create a mood. Values also help you create strong, enticing compositions. All these lessons, condensed into a fast introduction, prepare you to tackle painting waves, mountains or any other subject. In order to paint the light, you must learn how to see it.