Relative Values

A common error I see amongst students is that of poor, overall balance in their work. By this, I mean an element may appear too dark, or too light, in relation to other elements adjacent to it. There might also be an overall lack of contrast or a sense of a scene needing its brightness adjusted, but that isn’t necessarily what I’m talking about here. That last issue is also often down to taste or the general intention of the artist; maybe there’s a reason they’ve painted a scene particularly light or dark or lacking in strong contrasts – it might be misty, or they wish to convey a feeling of tranquility – if it’s particularly dark, maybe they want to convey a brooding undercurrent of disquiet, for example…

All objects within a composition occupy a space on the paper, and have a relative mass. That mass may be signified by it being larger than anything else within the scene, or maybe it is the darkest object within the scene. In that respect, even if it is diminutive in size, if it’s particularly intense then its prominence will almost certainly create an impact and draw the eye in towards it, possibly making it the centre of interest… if that is so, then it is important to make sure that it is the focal point you intended all along.

In watercolour, we work from light to dark, which means we must always tread carefully when it comes to applying our darkest tones. If you paint something too dark too early on in the process, for instance, then it may cause you problems later on, when you end up struggling to get everything to match up correctly.

The main thing is to be aware! I always recommend taking lots of breaks while you’re working anyway; step back from your easel from time to time to get a feel for how the composition is progressing. That way you’re more likely to spot any imbalances before they become irreversible or unfixable. Sometimes, it can be difficult to decide specifically how light or dark an object needs to be within the context of a composition, particularly if a scene is quite light. Subtle differences in tone can be more difficult to gauge, and it is important to remember that the lightness or darkness of objects change according to the object that is placed next to it. In other words; if we want something to look particularly light or bright, then we need to place something extremely dark next to it, to create that impression… or vice versa.

Finally; when perusing a potential subject, whether it be on location or from a source photograph, try squinting at it, or taking off your glasses (if you wear glasses). This can help to reduce tonal clutter and simplify a scene, enabling you to identify more clearly where the lightest and darkest values are, and how the mid-tones help to connect them, if necessary. Another suggestion would be – if you’re working from a colour source photograph, try converting it into black and white – again, this should help you to determine those relative values a little more easily.