In this tutorial I will show how I paint with four values in Procreate and Photoshop, I will be using just four values to bring a monochrome painting to life. I first read about contrast and values years ago in Andrew Loomis’ classic book Creative Illustration. Inside were four odd-looking boxes of various values, which the author claimed to be important when creating a strong illustration. (If you need inspiration, read our guide to the best art books.)
My definition of values has changed since then. I mostly associate them with describing a form, but they also serve another key role, and that’s to govern contrast. Here, contrast refers to how an object stands apart from another. It’s how we distinguish an object from its background. (Read our Procreate review to find out more about this Apple-exclusive software, and how guide to the best iPad for drawing if you've yet to upgrade.)
