Lena Rivera
Creating a grey value scale with gouache paint is a valuable tool for artists to help judge values and achieve a range of value contrasts within preliminary sketches. To create a grey value scale, start by cutting a vertical strip of white cardboard and dividing it into ten equal squares. Paint the first square pure black and the opposite end pure white. For the remaining squares, premix several shades of grey on a separate sheet of paper, gradually adding black to white or vice versa, to determine how much to modify the lights or darks. This process will help artists understand the subtle transitions from white to black and improve their sense of the value of value.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of squares | 8, 10 or 11 |
| First square | Pure black |
| Last square | Pure white |
| Middle square(s) | Various shades of grey |
| Technique | Start with black or white, then add incremental amounts of the opposite colour |
| Tools | Gouache paint, palette knife, water colour brush, paint palette, paper towels |
| Surface | Bristol board |
| Evaluation criteria | Even grid, evenly mixed paints, neat presentation board, no excess glue |
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What You'll Learn
- Prepare your materials: gouache paint, a palette, a board, a palette knife, and a brush
- Create a grid: divide your board into 10-11 equal squares
- Paint the extremes: fill the first square with black paint and the last with white
- Mix and paint shades of grey: gradually add white to black paint and vice versa to create shades
- Cut and mount: cut out the squares and mount them onto a presentation board
Prepare your materials: gouache paint, a palette, a board, a palette knife, and a brush
To create a grey value scale with gouache paint, you will need to prepare the following materials:
- Gouache paint: Ensure you have black and white gouache paint. Gouache is ideal for this project as it is an opaque watercolour paint, which will allow you to create a range of distinct values and shades.
- A palette: You will need a paint palette to lay out and mix your paints. A palette will provide a surface to create your shades of grey and ensure you have enough paint to fill your entire page.
- A board: You will need a board to mount your final swatches on for presentation. This is typically a presentation board, and you will also use it to lay out your grid and create your swatches. A 9x12-inch vellum Bristol board is a good size to work with.
- A palette knife: The palette knife is an important tool for mixing your paints. You will use this to add incremental amounts of paint to create your shades of grey.
- A brush: Choose a watercolour brush with a flat head. This will allow you to fill in each rectangle of your grid with a consistent colour and unique value.
With these materials, you will be able to create a grey value scale with gouache paint.
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Create a grid: divide your board into 10-11 equal squares
Creating a grey value scale with gouache paint is a valuable tool for any artist to have. To create a grey value scale with gouache paint, you must first create a grid with 10-11 equal squares.
Start by taking a pencil or charcoal pencil and drawing a grid with 10-11 squares of equal size on a piece of cardboard or bristol board. Each square should be an inch in size. This will serve as the foundation for your grey value scale.
The next step is to mix your gouache paints to create the different shades of grey that will fill each square in your grid. Begin by squeezing out pure white paint in one of the squares and pure black paint in the opposite square. Then, gradually add small amounts of black paint to the white paint in each consecutive square, mixing them together to create a range of grey shades. Simultaneously, you can add small amounts of white paint to the black paint in the other squares, gradually lightening the shade of black. This process will result in a smooth transition from white to black, with various shades of grey in between.
By creating a grey value scale with gouache paint, you will gain a valuable tool for checking the values, or lightness and darkness, of your artwork. This scale will help you understand the subtle transitions between white and black and improve your ability to mix paints evenly to achieve the desired shades.
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Paint the extremes: fill the first square with black paint and the last with white
Painting your own grey value scale is a great way to understand the subtle transitions from white to black and the shades of grey in between. To begin, cut a vertical strip of white cardboard and divide it into 10 equal squares. You can work with fewer squares, but this will compress your value range.
Now, paint the first square with pure black paint and the last with pure white paint. This establishes the extremes of your value scale. The next step is to mix shades of grey to fill in the remaining squares.
One approach is to premix several shades of grey on a separate sheet of paper. Start with white and gradually add small amounts of black to create progressively darker shades. You will also use less white paint as you go. This methodical process will help you determine how much to modify the lights and darks to create distinct shades of grey.
Alternatively, you can squeeze out mostly white paint and a tiny bit of black in the square next to your pure white paint. Mix it, creating a very light grey. For the next square, add a bit more black and a bit less white, continuing this process until you reach the darkest value before pure black. This gradual adjustment of ratios will help you achieve a smooth transition across your value scale.
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Mix and paint shades of grey: gradually add white to black paint and vice versa to create shades
Creating a grey value scale with gouache paint is a great way to practice your painting skills and understand the different shades of grey. Here's a step-by-step guide to mixing and painting shades of grey:
Start by preparing your palette and workspace. You'll need black and white gouache paint, a palette knife, a water container, a flat watercolour brush, paper towels, and a painting surface such as a bristol board or cardboard.
Begin by painting one end of your surface with pure black gouache and the other end with pure white gouache. These will serve as your starting points for mixing shades of grey.
Gradually add small amounts of white paint to the black paint, mixing thoroughly after each addition. With each addition of white, you will create a lighter shade of grey. Continue this process, gradually increasing the proportion of white to black until you have a range of light grey shades.
Similarly, add small amounts of black paint to the white paint, creating darker shades of grey. Gradually increase the amount of black paint you add, moving from light grey to darker shades.
As you mix, aim for even and consistent colours to create distinct shades. You can use a palette knife to mix the paints together, ensuring they are well combined.
Once you have a range of shades, from light grey to dark grey, you can create a grey value scale. Cut your painting surface into equal squares or rectangles, with each square representing a unique shade of grey. You can display these swatches on a presentation board to critique your work.
Creating a grey value scale with gouache paint allows you to explore the subtle transitions from white to black and the various shades of grey in between. This exercise is an excellent foundation for understanding value and composition in painting, helping you to create more nuanced and contrasting artwork.
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Cut and mount: cut out the squares and mount them onto a presentation board
To create a grey value scale with gouache paint, you will need to cut out squares and mount them onto a presentation board. Here's a step-by-step guide:
Prepare the Gouache Paint
Start by preparing your gouache paint. Squeeze out some white gouache paint and add a small amount of black paint to create a very light grey shade. Continue adding small amounts of black paint to create increasingly darker shades of grey, ensuring that you have enough paint for each shade.
Create the Grid
Using a pencil, draw a grid on a piece of paper or cardboard. The grid should have at least 8-10 squares, with each square being approximately one inch in size. The number of squares can vary depending on how many shades of grey you want to include in your scale.
Paint the Squares
Begin by painting the first square pure black and the last square pure white. Then, paint the remaining squares with the shades of grey you mixed earlier, starting from the lightest shade and gradually darkening towards the black square. Ensure that each square is painted with a consistent colour and that the paint is mixed thoroughly.
Cut and Mount
Once the paint is dry, cut out each square carefully, ensuring that they are all the same size. Prepare a presentation board by drawing a grid with the same number of squares as your cut-out squares. Use a glue stick or adhesive to mount the squares onto the presentation board, following the grid layout. Ensure that the squares are lined up evenly and that any excess glue is removed.
Evaluate Your Work
Stand back and evaluate your grey value scale. Check that the squares are mounted neatly and that the progression from white to black is smooth and even. This scale will now serve as a valuable reference tool for your artwork, helping you to judge the values of lightness and darkness in your paintings.
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Frequently asked questions
A grey value scale is a bar divided into squares of various shades of grey. It is a valuable tool for artists to check for values—the lightness or darkness in a drawing or painting.
First, lay out your board into an even grid. Next, start with a small amount of black gouache paint and gradually add more black to your white paint for each square, mixing the paints evenly. You should end up with around 10 distinct shades of grey.
Cut out your swatches and mount them onto a presentation board. You can then use your value scale as a reference point to test the values in your paintings.
Constructing your own grey value scale will help you to see the subtle transitions from white to black and shades of grey in between. It will also help you to achieve a nice range of value contrasts within your preliminary sketches.
You can create "warm" and "cool" value scales by using two light and dark colours such as burnt umber and white, or ultramarine blue and white.
