Using Value in a Color Scheme

The Definition of Value

The value of a color is based on how light or dark it is. The easiest way to remember this is to picture a "grayscale," which runs from black to white with all the possible light, middle, and dark grays in between. The lighter the color, the higher its value. So a deep, royal blue is a lower value than a light, sky blue (a high value).

Tip: An artist might find it helpful to use a variety of values in a single artwork, including white (or nearly white) and black (or nearly so).

Note: The scales below don't illustrate the lowest values (the colors with  lots of  black added).