Here I tried to limit the painting to three or four tonal values, ranging from near white (or the lightest light, which is usually the sky and some reflected highlights), through some mid-tones to the darkest darks. I started with an overall wash – a very dilute yellow ochre and alizarin crimson.
When that wash was dry I added a touch of Payne’s grey to the mix and painted the whole of the backdrop of the city in one wash, lifting out small highlights, to stand for sunlit roofs, etc. I used that same wash to sweep some broad shadows across the foreground, being careful to save the light band in the distance which is reflecting the sky.
Introduction
For the beginner in watercolor painting, grasping and implementing tonal values is essentially learning the hidden language of colors. This guide is dedicated to those poised with the brush in hand, eager to delve into what transforms a watercolor painting from merely viewed to deeply experienced.
Picture yourself in front of a canvas where every brushstroke is a gentle murmur, every color a loud proclamation, and the quietness of the untouched paper communicates profoundly. This is the essence of tonal values in watercolor. It transcends just the colors and the water, it’s about the interplay of shadows and light, shape, and emptiness.
This guide seeks to demystify tonal values, giving you the keys to infusing your watercolor artworks with depth, emotion, and lifelikeness.
Understanding Tonal Values in Watercolor
At its core tonal values act as the structure of a painting. It refers to the brightness or darkness of a color, separate from the color itself. It’s what brings a painting to life, providing it with dimension and shape.
Having a strong, clear expression, along with a wide-reaching impact, holds significant value. Achieving a lively and dynamic outcome is possible by limiting oneself to essentially four tones—bright, semi-bright, semi-dark, and dark. While color and texture play a supportive role, they are less critical. They can enhance and complement the structure of values, but they cannot replace it effectively. The most striking contrasts among these values draw attention to the focal area.
A disciplined approach to distinctively define each of the four tones involves utilizing watercolors in layered washes: starting with a semi-bright tone to demarcate the bright areas, followed by adding a semi-dark tone within the semi-bright areas once it dries, and finally applying the dark tones accordingly. One can achieve a more pleasing outcome if the mid-tones occupy over half of the surface area, with the darks and lights (which should not cover equal parts of the canvas) highlighting certain elements.
Ranges of Tonal Values
Light Values: The whispers in your painting, gently hint at the presence of light.
Mid-tones: Serving as the link between light and dark, mid-tones lend volume and contour to your subjects.
Dark Values: These are the shadows that ground your painting offering it substance and depth.
Incorporating a spectrum of tonal values is like orchestrating a symphony with a complete range of musical notes. Without this diversity, a painting can appear flat and lifeless. But for simplicity’s sake and the sake of the beginning painter, I like to limit this range to very few tonal values.
In this example, it’s easy to see that the lightest part of the painting is the sunlit sky and the darkest is the shadowed sides of the boats. The rest of the painting is made up of one or two mid-tones.
Techniques to Master Tonal Values
Beginning to master tonal values starts with close observation. Think about carrying a greyscale card or applying a black-and-white filter on your phone camera to scrutinize your subject without color distractions.
Practicing with a limited color palette can also enhance your awareness of tonal values, pushing you to concentrate on shadow and light rather than on color, as in the painting above.
Manipulating Light and Shadow: Strategies for Watercolor Excellence
The Significance of Water
Grasping the relationship between water and pigment is vital in watercolor painting. Using more water results in lighter tones, whereas using less water yields darker tones. Experimentation is crucial. For instance:
Start with a wet-on-wet approach for subtle, delicate light tones.
Switch to dry brush techniques to introduce rich, dark contrasts.
This simple method is the basis for most of my paintings, particularly ones where I want to evoke a sense of atmosphere, which is what I value most in watercolor painting.
Building Depth Through Layering
Layering, or glazing, enables the artist to incrementally enhance tones, enriching the painting with complexity and depth. Here patience is crucial. Wait for each layer to fully dry before adding the next to avoid blurring your colors.
In this painting, I waited for the first layer to dry before adding the next layer, as you can see in the trees, the foreground, and the tree trunk. You can also notice some use of dry brush technique in the near foreground to indicate rough texture in the land.
The Technique of Lifting
Lifting, or the gentle removal of some pigment while it’s damp, can craft highlights and soften edges. Its an extraordinary method for injecting realism into your watercolor artworks.
Practicing Tonal Values in the Real World
To fully appreciate the role of tonal values consider their effect through a practical example.
Visualize a scene: some ancient trees beside a quietly flowing river at twilight. The role of tonal values here includes:
The Twilight Sky: Light values with smooth gradients create a tranquil, diminishing light.
The trees: A variety of mid-tones articulates the textures of the bark, while dark tones in the nooks suggest age and depth.
The River: Light values depict the fading light reflection, while darker tones illustrate the water movement
A River at Twilight
One painter who helped me grasp the significance of tonal values early on was American watercolorist and teacher John Pike. He advised beginning painters to make use of small thumbnail sketches in lead or charcoal, purely to separate the values of their intended composition. This was like a handy roadmap to enable him to paint with freedom and spontaneity
Final Thoughts: The Harmony of Light and Dark
Tonal values are fundamentally the dialect through which a painting communicates. They transform a watercolor landscape into a space for the viewer to wander. As you progress in your watercolor journey, heed the soft calls of light and the gentle hums of shadows. They are the guides to the enchantment you aim to create.