Value Studies are a necessary step in the illustration process. Value Studies (or value roughs) allow the artist to quickly test out lighting, shading, and values schemes.

Instructions:

  • Refine and finalize your drawing based on feedback and suggestions you have received.
    • Do not shade your drawing. Focus on drawing clean line art only.
    • Do tape off the edges of your composition.
  • Edit your drawing by using photo editing software.
    • Scan or Carefully Photograph final art.
    • Adjust Brightness and Contrast
    • Carefully Crop Art
    • Save your Artwork as a HighRez file (to continue working on)
    • Save a Copy as a LoRez file (to post to Openlab)
  • Create fill in sheets for Value Studies using one of the following methods:
    • Using a Adobe PS, copy/paste your design to create a fill in sheet.
    • Reduce the size of your artwork, using Adobe PS or Photocopier.
      • There’s no hard and fast rule, but studies should be small enough to fill in quickly.
      • About 25% of the FINAL ILLUSTRATION SIZE usually works
    • Copy and Paste the artwork so that you have 3 or more to Fill in .
    • PRINT this sheet, so you can and fill in traditionally with pencils or markers, OR create DIGITAL VALUE STUDIES by using Adobe PS/ or Procreate etc. to color in your values.
    • Copy your drawing on a Photocopier and reduce it’s size. Create fill in sheets of your design to fill in by hand.
  • Color each Value Study.
    • Create one Lo-Key, one Middle-Key and one High-Key Design.
    • Consider Focal Points, Image Hierarchy, and Contrast.

Examples:

Dana Moreno Final Pencil Drawing

Value Study (1 of 3)