Traditional Artist Workshops
DR AW ON THE
POWER OF CONTRAST
Continuing his drawing techniques series, TIMOTHY VON RUEDEN shows the
fundamental importance and practice of creating contrast in your artwork
M
y favourite aspect to
work with in art is
contrast. This usually
occurs when working
with colour through
hue, saturation, and value. Since we’re
working with pencils, we can’t
harness contrast with hue and
saturation. Instead we’re forced to
work with value contrast and it’s key
to creating a drawing and illustration
that’s easy for the viewer to navigate.
We can work within the value
limits by concentrating on the level ofcontrast in the drawing’s detail, focus
and edge control. This can be
implemented through something as
simple as a dark to light gradation.
The human eye tends to be attracted
to high levels of contrast: bear this in
mind when you add your light and
dark values.
I try to create a focal point in most
of my work, which relies heavily on
high contrast and then the rest of the
drawing will be more subtle and have
fewer value shifts. This will create a
place of interest and a foundation foryou to build your contrasting values.
Note that having subtle contrast can
be equally entrancing when used
correctly. You’ll learn this as you
experiment and this instalment is
meant to help understand the
importance of contrast and how to
harness its ability to create engaging
and powerful work!1
Understanding high and low contrast
It’s crucial to first know the difference between low and high contrast,
and when to use them. Low contrast usually has similar surrounding values
between subjects and may even blend together. High contrast has a stark
difference in value and attracts the viewer’s eye as a point of interest.2
Start lighter either way
Regardless of whether you want to add high or low
contrast to your drawing, I recommend keeping it light at first
either way. Having a better foundation laid out to then decide
which direction to go throughout the composition will help
keep your values in check.Core skills: Part 3
Timothy is a travelling
independent artist showing
and selling his work at
conventions across the US.
See more of his art at http://www.vonnart.net.MATERIALS
PENCILS
Q HB 0.2mm Orenz
yellow mechanical
pencil
Q General Kimberly
traditional pencils
ERASERS
Q MONO Sero eraser
Q Kneaded eraser
SURFACE
Q Strathmore Mixed
Media PaperHowever, not all great
use of contrast is high
contrast. Low contrast
can be used to add
subtlety and give nuance
as an impact for the
Notice the difference in the hand drawing and how the overall composition.
left side is more impactful
because of the high contrast
between the subject matter
and the background.I tend to create a light outline of the entire
drawing first and then decide where to
build up the most contrast, to direct the
viewer’s eye more clearly.High contrast Low contrast