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Start Art 5 13 www.painters-online.co.uk BLEND FOR VALUE You can achieve value gradation by using shading rhythm and by using blending tools. Blending creates a value transition that is embedded into the tooth of the paper, creating a softer and smoother effect. Lifting removes value from your drawing surface, lightening it. The grade of graphite you use determines the blending quality; softer grades blend more easily than harder grades. Here’s a quick review of the tools required: ● Stumps come in a variety of sizes to fit in any area. Use one end for darker values and the other for lighter values. ● Tortillions are less expensive and more disposable than stumps. Keep several on hand and use a separate one for each value. ● Brushes are useful for tight spots, places where you want to accent texture and for when you want to soften contour lines. Use flat brushes sideways for narrow blending strokes, or use them flat for wider blending strokes. ● Chamois are sometimes faster than other blending tools. With a small piece wrapped over the tip of your finger, pencil or stick you can get a nice, even layer of value and provide a great base for creating texture. ● Kneaded erasers have unlimited use when blending. Use them to remove unwanted lines, lift graphite for lighter values, reclaim your highlights and create textures. Keep your kneaded eraser workable, soft and clean by stretching and folding it often. As a backup to the blending tools you’ll find at most art stores, many household items are handy for blending. Try cotton swabs, tissues, paper towels, old cloth or small pieces of paper. Use the three-step value scale to fill in values Use rhythmic strokes to begin shading the contour of the frog while preserving the highlights. You can use a single pencil to create the value gradation with pressure control and a series of layers. Or you can use pencils of different grades to establish the three values. Use the middle value to define the shadows or darker shapes. As you begin to shade the image, incorporate the contour line into the shading. Lighten your original lines with a kneaded eraser to eliminate the outline effect. Add another layer of middle value to the darkest shadows. Shade gradually to the middle value, then soften gradually to the light value to define highlights. Keep your strokes flowing in the direction that sculpts and follows the basic shape of your subject Draw now! 1 Make your own three- and five-step value plans based on the plans here. 2 Create two detailed contour drawings of a simple object in your house. 3 Making sure to look at your subject often, fill in the values on one of the contour drawings using only the values in your three-step value plan. Then fill in the values on your second detailed drawing using your five-step value plan. ▼ Using blending tools to boost your realistic drawing skills Adding blending techniques to your arsenal of drawing skills opens the door to realistic drawing. I created much of this drawing with a blending stump. I used one end of a stump to blend the dark values at the top of the turnip. I used the clean end to blend the lighter values from the edge of the darks and down the right side. Using only the graphite remaining on the light tip, I added the value along the left edge from the top to the root. For the shadows I used a 4B pencil, then softly blended toward the edges with the stump’s dark tip. Then with my kneaded eraser, I softened and lightened edges and cleaned up smudges