The Value of Value and Key

I've been exploring how value and key affect a painting's mood in two recent works-in-progress.  Even with identical compositions,  paintings will look and feel very different depending upon the value and key used.

Here's an example.  Based on a sketch done at a nearby farm, I created several 'thumbnail' sketches (small, quick, images of major compositional shapes) to test out what values (grey scale lightness and darkness of each shape, like the note in a scale), and key (overall placement of values, mostly darks or mostly lights, like octaves on a piano) work best in creating the feel of the place. The composition of all the thumbnail sketches are identical- only the value and key vary between them.  

Colors have value, and to focus in on this quality, I often follow the time-honored approach of squinting at the image, which narrows perception down more to a grey scale (dark to light range), temporarily factoring out other delightful aspects of color (hue and intensity...more on this on a later post). Give this a try, look out the window and watch what happens!

Thumbnail images of a scene, to explore value and key options

I decided to develop two images, the second and third from the top. Note that the composition (placement of shapes) is the same, but the values and overall key differ.

Value Example 1 (painting in progress)

Value Example 2 (painting in progress)

Example 1 uses the higher (e.g. lighter) key and closer value range of the third thumbnail, and I think that it creates a lighter, relaxed, harmonious mood, and the feeling of morning.  In example 2, which follows the second thumbnail, the key is lower (darker), with more dark and middle values, and I sense more solidity and weight to the shapes, and a bit more solemn feeling, like dusk.  I'll be working on both paintings later today, and will keep you posted!

Value and key play critical roles in a painting's structure, and the feel it conveys to the viewer.  I've learned time and time again of the importance of making deliberate choices about how to use these elements in each painting I create.  When viewing works by other artists, I realize what an impact value and key have in the painting.  Try the squinting method to see the 'forest' rather than the 'trees' the next time you're in an art gallery, or try it out on my website paintings.