Why do some beginner paintings just not look real? All the right shapes are there, but something about the picture just does not feel right, it looks just artificial.

In almost all cases it is not because of the drawing, or even the color. It is a problem of value. Building on the skill you learned in the first lecture series on creating a five value scale, you will now learn how to create nine evenly spaced values. Why is this important? The answer is simple. With just nine or ten values, you can make any scene look completely realistic (as long as you use the right ones that is!). Surprisingly, given the thousands of values in nature, you just do not need to use any more than nine or ten values to make things look real.

If you have learned how to compare values (a skill you learned in the first lecture series), and you learn the skill in this lecture, you will be able to make your paintings look realistic. By the way if you think this is simple, think again, it is not. You have to actually do it to realize how tricky it is. So make sure you do the assignment!

Length of video: 9 minutes

More information on the Virtual Art Academy® Video Lecture Series