Uploaded June 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
One of the biggest mistakes I see artists make when learning values is not consolidating their shadow shapes.
A lot of beginners treat every little dark spot as its own thing. They start rendering individual forms instead of thinking about the big picture.
What you want to do instead is simplify.
Look at your reference and ask yourself: "What is the main shadow shape?"
If you squint at a face, you'll usually see one large shadow pattern with a few small islands of light breaking it up. Once you identify that shape, fill it in as one connected mass.
The clearer the separation between your light shape and your shadow shape, the stronger your values will look.
In this critique, I show how a few simple adjustments can make the lighting much easier to read without adding any extra detail.
Sometimes better values aren't about painting more. They're about simplifying more.
SUMMER SALE 👉 lpart.me/prokocourse
One of the biggest mistakes I see artists make when learning values is not consolidating their shadow shapes.
A lot of beginners treat every little dark spot as its own thing. They start rendering individual forms instead of thinking about the big picture.
What you want to do instead is simplify.
Look at your reference and ask yourself: "What is the main shadow shape?"
If you squint at a face, you'll usually see one large shadow pattern with a few small islands of light breaking it up. Once you identify that shape, fill it in as one connected mass.
The clearer the separation between your light shape and your shadow shape, the stronger your values will look.
In this critique, I show how a few simple adjustments can make the lighting much easier to read without adding any extra detail.
Sometimes better values aren't about painting more. They're about simplifying more.
SUMMER SALE 👉 lpart.me/prokocourse
