How to Draw Values

Supplies
Pencil and Eraser
Paper (printer or drawing paper)
Kleenex or tissue
An Egg or image of an Egg
Steps
1. Draw a large rectangle
2. Divide it into 7 parts
3. Use your pencil to shade in the first square and make it as dark as you can
4. Move to the next square and don't press as hard as you fill it in with your pencil
5. Continue to the last square which you leave completely white. The square shaded next to
it should be very light
6. Look for areas where the colors jump from one value to the next and correct it
7. Grab the egg and place it on the table in front of you, try to use only one light source on it
8. Draw the shape of the egg and shape of shadows
9. Draw the darkest areas first
10. Add the next darkest areas moving to the lighter areas
11. After adding the lightest areas, use your Kleenex to smudge the shadows and blend them
together
12. Add any lines or shadows that were smudged out
13. Erase any highlights
Adaptions
Younger children can draw a value scale with only 3-4 boxes
Extensions
Draw something with texture and add shadows (squash, citrus fruits
Grab a white piece of fabric, drape it on something or place it in a pile and draw it using all of
the values
Make a high contrast drawing of the egg using only 3 values
Drawing
Shadows
Make shadow puppets
Artists to look at
Kumi Yamashita
Caravaggio
Homework
Draw a piece of fruit or a bowl and add shadows and highlights to it
Vocabulary
Shadow
Reflected Light
Form
Tips
Using a Kleenex is something some artists don’t do, instead they very careful shade and move
from dark to light smoothly so they don't need to smudge with a Kleenex. Some children are
ready for this and don't need the aid of a Kleenex or tissue.
This tutorial was made by McCall Johnson for Mr Otter Studio
Music A Piano Tale by Immersive Music
Purchased music license from PremiumBeat.com