Tonal Value Studies: Two Fun Value Excercises for Stronger Paintings
Gabriela Shel, Illustrator and Concept Artist
Schau dir diesen Kurs und Tausende anderer Kurse an
Schau dir diesen Kurs und Tausende anderer Kurse an
Einheiten dieses Kurses
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1.
Introduction
1:03
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2.
Class orientation
2:42
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3.
About tonal values
6:08
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4.
How to improve values?
3:40
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5.
Three-value-painting
7:49
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6.
Full-value-painting
8:32
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7.
Final words
1:36
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Über diesen Kurs
Improve Your Art Instantly: Master Values in Digital & Traditional Painting (Procreate, Photoshop, Acrylic, Oil & More)
If you want to level up your digital painting or traditional art skills, mastering values is one of the most powerful ways to do it—no matter your medium or style.
Whether you're painting digitally in Procreate or Photoshop, or working traditionally with acrylics, oil painting, gouache, or pencil, learning to see and paint tonal values more accurately can transform your entire approach to art.
In this class, you'll learn how to improve your paintings through clear, easy-to-follow exercises that build your understanding of grayscale, black and white studies, and tonal structure.
Here's what you'll learn:
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How the Old Masters used value in classic paintings to guide the viewer’s eye and create powerful storytelling.
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How to break down any reference photo—portrait, landscape, still life—into just a few simple value groups.
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How values impact form, composition, lighting, and mood in your artwork.
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How to create more readable and professional-looking illustrations, concept art, and fine art pieces.
Painting Exercises (for both digital and traditional artists):
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A 3-value black and white study: simplify any image into clear shapes and structure using only black, gray, and white.
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A full-value digital painting: explore subtle tonal shifts while maintaining clarity and composition.
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Perfect for digital artists working in Procreate, Photoshop, or Clip Studio Paint, and for traditional painters using oil, acrylic, or graphite.
This class includes free high-quality reference images so you can jump straight into painting, whether you're building a personal project or practicing fundamentals.
These exercises will strengthen your ability to see values, make better choices, and bring more confidence into your work—whether you're creating illustrations, character art, fantasy scenes, or realistic paintings.
No polished final artwork required—just a commitment to improve your painting skills one study at a time.
Music: Massobeats - daydream and Massobeats - Lush
Triff deine:n Kursleiter:in
Hello, I'm Gabriela Shel, an illustrator and concept artist who loves all things fantasy.
I have a background in the entertainment industry and in publishing and have been working professionally for over 8 years.
I have created characters and concept art for projects such as Star Trek - Wrath of Gems for CBS, working on bookcovers and book illustrations with a variety of authors and also created art for NFT projects.
I'm passionate about creating beautiful fantasy illustrations and can't wait to share this knowledge with you.
You can see more of my works and what I do here:
Website Artstation LinkedIn Twitter Instagram
Praxisnahes Kursprojekt
Now it’s your turn to give it a go!
For this class project, you’ll be creating your own black and white value study to put the techniques you’ve learned into practice.
I’ve added a few reference photos for you to choose from—pick whichever one inspires you the most!
Start by creating a three-value study, just like we did in the class. Keep it loose and simple—this is about learning how to see values more clearly, not getting everything perfect. You can use any medium you prefer: sketch it with pencil, paint it with gouache, or go digital—whatever suits your style best!
If you want to take things further, you can also create a full-range value study using either the same image or a different one. This will help you refine your tonal control even more.
Try to keep things short and focused:
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5–15 minutes for a simple three-value study
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Up to 30 minutes for a more detailed version
Most of all, have fun with it! And when you’re done, don’t forget to share your work in the project section—I’d love to see how you interpret the exercise.
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