Using Temperature, Tone and Value in Painting

Posted on July 14, 2015 by Lori McNee

Understanding the proper use of temperature, tone

and value in painting will help with the success of
your art.
These principles can be applied whether you are plein air painting in the field, or
working in portraiture, still lifes, or landscapes your studio. Here is a quick crash
course of the subject.

Temperature
Temperature describes the degree of warmth found in a color or hue. For instance,
a warm color gives the viewer a feeling of warmth such as the colors on a sunny
day. A cool color gives a sense of coolness, like the colors on a rainy day.

The Secret Garden a plein air painting by Lori McNee Oil on Arches Oil Paper
Mounted on Board
Temperature changes and value shifts where used in this plein air painting to
portray a very green garden. The subtle changes to the warmth of the greens in the
sunshine and the coolness of the greens in the background make the above
painting sing.
Temperature also helped me create the illusion of distance. The warm colors come
forward and cool colors recede.

Tone
A tone is made by adding a mixture of gray to the color.
A tone is not a pure color. Observe the tones within this painting. Tones are made
when you add both black and white to a hue or color to tone it down or gray it
down. Adding black or white will also change the value of that particular hue or
color.
Learn more about color mixing here.

Value
Value on the other hand, is the lightness or darkness of a color or hue. Little did I
know that my drawing background would give me a good foundation in value for my
painting!
Generally, the strongest compositions are generally an arrangement of three or four
large masses.
If you took a black and white photograph of your painting, the shades of gray would
represent the different values within the painting.

The same principles are used in painting still lifes as well. Note how the painting
below reads well in color, and also in values of black and white.
Use value to create a focal point of interest in the painting. Remember the eye is
attracted to the dark against light. The hummingbird is the darkest dark against the

lighter background thus, creating the focal point. In the landscape above, notice
how the garden bench leads your eye into dark arbors.

Glass Bottle and Hummingbird LoriMcNee

Value Scale
Value is the range of light to dark of either neutrals or colors. The two extreme
values on this scale are white and black.
Like notes on a piano, artists can make paintings that are high-key, mid-key or lowkey. Mid-key paintings risk being dull and flat, and this is quite common among

amateur artists.

Believe it or not, value is more important than color to the design and success of a
painting. Value is often used to create the focal point within a painting or drawing.
The human eye is immediately drawn to the lightest light against the darkest dark,
which helps create the focal point of interest.

A shade is created when only black is added to a pure hue. This darkens the
color. However, a hue can also be made darker by adding its complimentary
color rather than black. For example: Green + Red, or Violet + Yellow, or Blue +
Orange when combined produce a dark shade of gray that can be used instead
of black.
Adding white to any pure hue on the color wheel creates a tint.
Remember, tones, tints and shades also reduce the saturation or intensity of
a color and adds to the dilution of the original hue.

4 Types of Value Planes

The 4 Types of Value Planes were originally taught by American Impressionist John
F. Carlson (1875-1947) to help students create a cohesive and harmonious
painting. Today, successful landscape painters usually keep their composition
limited to 4 value planes.
1.

The Sky: The lightest value plane in a painting. Dont paint

this a highly saturated blue; it will be too dark a value when
compared to the light passages in the land. Remember the sky is
the source of light.

2.

Ground Planes: The second lightest planes because it

received more light from the overhead sky.
3.
Slanted Planes: Mountains, hills and other angled planes
receive less light from the sky.
4.
Upright Planes: This includes anything upright or vertical
such as trees and buildings. Upright planes receive the least
amount of direct light from the overhead sky.

About Grisaille
Some artists paint their whole underpainting in values of gray or another
monochrome (the term grisaille is misapplied) neutral color. They let this dry
before painting over the top with color. This technique is called grisaille. Ingres was
noted for this as seen in the painting below. Rubins painted in brown monochrome
values which is not true grisaille, but is still a very popular way today for laying in
values.

Ingres, true grisaille

Rubins, monochromatic painting

Fuente