Using Value to Create Form

In this lesson we learnt some techniques for shading matte surfaces. 

The technique that I practised below is called the halfway to black technique.  You use three different values to create the illusion of a 3D object in a 2D space. We used boxes to demonstrate this. To determine these values, you have to use some maths. First, you pick the top surface. On my first box I wanted to play around with darker values, so I chose 40% grey. The surface furthest away from the light will be the darkest and will be between 100% grey (black) and the lit surface. In this case that was 70%. Next, the surface at an angle to the light source is half way between the lit surface and the darkest surface, which was 55% grey. Finally, the cast shadow is half way between the value of the floor (0% here) and black. This was 50%. 

For my second box, I changed the colour of the floor to 50% grey and used a lighter value to start with on the lit surface, 20%. The shadow surface is 60% and the surface at an angle to the light source is 40%. This is the same as one of the boxes shown in class, however, the floor is a darker value so the shadow is also darker, being at 75% grey. 

I found this technique really useful because it applies in any situation if you can do the maths. For the first box, I originally started to use 30% grey as the lit surface instead of 40%, but I changed it because I found it too tricky working with the odd numbers. I need more practice using odd numbers. Also, the painting for the first box looks quite sloppy. I was unable to keep the edges straight. By the time I painted the second box, though, I had gotten the hang of it and this box looks much better.