How to Paint Tonal Values in Oil

How to Paint Tonal Values of a Sphere

Understanding tonal values is very important for every fine artist. Arguably, values are more important than colors in painting. For example, if you paint an apple, you may depict it in any color of your choice – green yellow, orange, red or anything in between; it will look like an apple as long as its tonal values are depicted correctly. The same in painting portraits. A portrait will look convincing and believable not only because the right use of colors, but also due to correct tonal values.

Portraits, figures, organic objects – all have some round shapes. Portraying their tonal values believably greatly helps in making realistic artworks.

The theory of tonal values is quite simple – surfaces that face the light-source will have lighter values than those surfaces that are turned away from light or in shadow.

All tonal values can be divided into three groups:

1. Lights:
– Highlight
– Light
– Local light

2. Mid-tones:
– Light Halftone
– Middle Halftone
– Dark Halftone

3. Shadows:
– Core Shadow
– Form Shadow
– Reflected Light
– Accent

There is also the Casted Shadow with dark Umbra and diffused Penumbra.

Please note, some other sources may name tonal values differently or even propose a different number of values. This doesn’t change anything. Values in life will depend on the surface and light, not on terminology.

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