5 Steps to Simplify Values

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Frank Gambino's Instagram: / frankgambinoart
The most important skill for a figurative artist to learn is simplification. There's a few different ways you need to be able to simplify. One is to simplify values - the light and dark tones you see.
We'll look at 5 steps to simplifying the values. Frank Gambino does this in order to make something impossibly complex - light hair in difficult hairdos - into something drawable.
If you try this, why not share your drawings in our community - it's free to join: community.lovelifedrawing.com/
Our Instagram: / kenzoandmayko

[@pianoatthirty]

This is video is SO outstanding. That idea of starting in the middle and building out in either direction is just brilliant! Out of all the shading videos and paid courses I've watched, none of them have given this simple advice. Thank you!!

[@Creativepenciling]

This is probably the “simplest“ idea, but it doesn't come naturally when approaching figure drawing for the first time. Thank you for this video.

[@vic2rvic]

This is a very important lesson. The most of all drawing fundamentals in my opinion. Thank you and Frank for delivering it simply and beautifully!

[@lovelifedrawing]

thanks I'm glad you liked it!

[@carlosagustinsd1466]

Love working with charcoal for sketching

[@edzejandehaan9265]

Very good advice. I have had great trouble being tempted to draw too detailed too early. You tend to end upp with a muddy mess, and when it comes to figures etc wrong shapes.
Boxing in and simple values should be my mantra😄

[@lovelifedrawing]

yes it's hard to avoid getting dragged into detail, but it gets easier as you practice. good luck!

[@chammikaiser7740]

This is a wonderful video. Thank you so much for sharing this. I am an experienced artist but one never stops learning. It simplified things for me in a big way particularly when it comes to sketching and painting hair.

[@lovelifedrawing]

that's great thanks Chammi!

[@arthurmbaye7791]

thank you!

[@yonkomamitsu8446]

Oh thank god

[@ZeroSumJ1]

I draw my hands exactly how you showed a beginner drawing a hand haha

[@jasmine-ruff-puff9951]

I do too, I felt called out lol.

[@mikekazz5353]

What about other people's hands?

[@lovelifedrawing]

haha no worries - i drew them like that for ages too. we all start somewhere. quick tip - look for the line across the knuckles early on, rather than worrying about lines along the fingers

[@jasmine-ruff-puff9951]

I've gotta keep this in mind. And I'm definitely gonna check out the booklet. 👍

[@lovelifedrawing]

thanks Jasmine! hope your practice is going well

[@strom99nonce]

Fantastic !

[@AleksVHaecky]

Yes.

[@markcastillo2622]

Just exactly what i needed, i feel like value is one of the hardest things to master, well that's the case for me at least, maybe i'm just not drawing enough.

[@alliknowisthatiknownothing8247]

This is my number one issue right now.

[@TeagueChrystie]

I have no idea how these videos have so few views. This was just totally fantastic. Cheers.

[@antonioblanco3086]

I love your analogies! very helpful thank you!

[@lovelifedrawing]

thanks Antonio!

[@inkswampmedia2577]

Great tutorial! Thanks so much for producing and uploading this, it's a great help to break down something that seems so complex.

[@lovelifedrawing]

thanks!

[@ginny6365]

Valuable information here! Thank You!

[@lovelifedrawing]

thanks Virginia!

[@filipkalatzisforsberg9242]

Awesome video! keep up

[@mikekazz5353]

Thank you, I've tried kicking the habit by drawing different types of hair yesterday, but still I kinda go for more details I've also been leaving the mannequin head alone with the contour lines and no hair (if not essential to gesture) any tips on drawing curly hair?

[@lovelifedrawing]

thanks Mike! generally i think that same principle of building the simplified value structure first and then only add a layer of detail once that's established is the same for curly hair too

[@MrIgep]

Great video thank you ! also what's the music in the background ?

[@lovelifedrawing]

thanks! it's all stuff we got from the free youtube audio library