Translating values

Almost everything has more than one value. Depending on the light source, most things have some areas that are very light and others that are quite dark.

If you look closely at a mound of dark earth, you notice that it has several different values. If a fresh layer of snow covered this mound of earth, there would still be lots of values. When you can see a range of different values you can draw your subject in the third dimension.

Squinting to see values and simple shapes 

Seeing values is key to drawing in the third dimension. Many artists can visually simplify complex drawing subjects by simply squinting their eyes. Squinting helps you screen out details and see simple values and shapes. When you can see the shapes created by different values, you can draw your subject more accurately.

Wouldn't it be nice if you could simply press a button in the middle of your forehead and magically transform the world from full color to gray values? This ability would certainly make drawing a lot easier. Thankfully, simply squinting your eyes can help you develop this skill.

• Look around you at different objects. Focus on only the light and dark areas and not the actual colors. Concentrate on the light and shadows. Then squint your eyes until you see the values of that object.

Take a mental note of where the lights and darks are. Think about how you could draw these darks and lights. Don't get discouraged if you can't do it right away. With practice, you get better.

• Find a colored photograph with lots of contrast. Squint your eyes to block out the colors and details. In your sketchbook, draw only the simple shapes and values you see. Add shading with only black, white, a light value, and a middle value.

If your subject has, for example, light-pink and dark-red stripes, seeing two different values in the two colors is easy. You simply draw the dark red as a dark value and the pink as a light value. But, some objects have colors that seem to be the same in value. When this is the case, you simply have to rely on your own discretion to decide which colors should be drawn lighter or darker than others. If your subject has stripes of dark green and dark red, you need to pick one to be a lighter value. Otherwise, you end up drawing a solid tone instead of stripes.

What is chromatic aberration?

Almost every photo has a situation in which a colored halo (usually purple, green or red) is apparent around certain elements of a scene. This sort of optic anomaly, more commonly known as color fringing, is known as chromatic aberration. We, as photo real computer illustrators, can use this effect to help us fake reality. Chromatic aberration is an optical phenomenon in which the camera lens is unable to focus the different wavelengths of light on the same plane (in this case the image sensor) in order to produce a correct image, resulting in a halo or fringe around objects.

• After opening your image in Photoshop, go to Filter -> Distort -> Lens Correction…
• On the right side panel you should find a set of controls named Chromatic Aberration
• Depending on your image, you should adjusting the sliders. To do this in an optimal way make sure you are viewing the image at a magnification of 100% or more.
• You might have to move only one or both sliders: it all depends on the image you’re dealing with.

Caution! use sparingly, it is suppose to be very subtle, if done correctly.

"U" Composition

The dynamic U composition usually has vertical objects of masses on either side of the rendering space with a horizontal line forming the bottom of the U shape.  

The area within the U can be either a peaceful place for the viewer's eye to rest or a major contrast to the activity of the U. Either way, the space within the U makes for a good location for your rendering's focal point.

"L" Composition

You can create an L composition by placing a vertical mass on one side of you rendering and balancing it with an open area or distance on the other side and a horizontal base at the bottom. This dramatic and solid composition firmly anchors your subject on two sides of the rendering space, thus drawing the attention of the viewer both vertically and horizontally. The open area in this composition can provide a great frame for your focal point, Or you can chose to make your focal point the vertical mass of the L,  which the artist has done in the image above.

What is composition?

The term composition, as it relates to rendering, refers to the purposeful arrangement of lines, shapes, value, textures, and sometimes colors within the borders of your rendering spcae. Don't worry if the idea of composing your rendering sounds a little intimidating: I'm happy to help you through it!

Good coposition is one of the most important, if elusive, aspects of making renderings. When composition works, it captivates the viewer's attention and provides clues to the meaning of the rendering. In the next several posts you'll find some simple and effective strategies to help you start making strong compositions.

Looking to the horizon line

In every perspective rendering you create, you determine the viewer's eye level by choosing the position of the horizon line. You control whether you want viewers to feel like they're looking at the objects in your rendering from above, below, or straight on. For this reason, always begin a perspective rendering by making sure your horizon line is parallel to the top and bottom of your rendering space.

If you want viewers of your rendering to feel like they are.

•  Looking downward: Place the subject below the horizon line.
• Looking upward: Place your subject above the horizon line.
• Looking straight on: Place your subject so that they touch or cross over the horizon line.

Sometimes referred to as your eye-level line, the horizon line is an imaginary line that divides earth from sky. The horizon line is exactly at the level of your eyes as you look straight ahead.

Balancing a subject in a composition

A balanced rendering is typically more aesthetically pleasing and harmonious than an unbalanced one, so before you start to render, take some time to plan your composition and think about where you want to position the visual weight in your render. Visual weight is an imaginary gravity that compels you to look at a particular subject. When a subject is highly compelling, it has a lot of visual weight; when you don't really notice something, it is little visual weight.

The main problem you run into when rendering subjects with a lot of visual weight is making sure they hold the viewer's eye disproportianatly, throwing off the balance in your rendering. For example, people in renderings automatically have a lot of visual weight, so you have to be careful how you render your people so as not to create unbalanced proportions of weight. When balance is absent from the rendering, the human eye tries to resolve the problem, and you certainly don't want your viewers to focus on fixing balanced problems rather than seeing the meaning you intended in your rendering.

To achieve balance, spread out the visual weight so that every part of your rendering attracts the eye. For example, if you notice that you aren't really looking at the top of your rendering, create a reason for the eye to go there. You could put something like an airplane or hot-air balloon in the sky, or you could use other objects in the rendering to create an eye path that gets the eye of the viewer to the sky. Something as simple as a steeple pointing to an empty expanse of the sky can give the sky visual weight. Don't worry if a single object has more visual weight than any other thing as long as you balance it with other objects that are still interesting enough to draw the eye. Whatever you do, keep it simple! Too many objects in a rendering tend to create overcrowding and disharmony.

Imagine that your rendering is a teeter-totter. If your subjects are the same size, you can balance then perfectly by putting them both the same distance from the center point. On the other hand, if your objects aren't the same size, arrange them asymmetrically. For example, you can balance a tiny object with a larger one if you place the smaller one far enough away from the larger one that your eyes naturally flow to both objects.

Without balance, your rendering may end up visually lopsided, so don't skip this element of composition as you plan for your next rendering project.