“Where can you purchase “red acetate” or red filter paper to check the values in your painting. And what am I looking for when I see the different values thru the red filter? ”
Beverly was asking about using red acetate. I have never used red acetate to check values, but if you have a digital camera it probably has a setting that lets you view the scene in black and white. This sounds easier to me.
There might be several things you are looking for with your values. You can check if the values you are painting match the values of the landscape or still life you are looking at.
You can check values to see if your painting is creating a pleasing balance of lights and darks. Are the lights and darks grouped in a pleasing design or scattered all over the surface?
Do you have a wide range of values or just a few? This is neither right nor wrong but just a matter of what you are intending to do.
Regarding Red Acetate. One source is to purchase a piece of clear red glass from a stained glass store, tape the edges to avoid cuts. I also have occasionaly found red acetate clear file folders in office supply stores but many are too opaque. You use this to look at the value in a painting, it removes the color and shows you the values which are not as defined as looking at colors. This really helps to push the darks against the lights in your paintings which are usually too mid-tone.
Billsays
Try Dick Blick at http://www.dickblick.com. Search the site for acetate and you find single sheets for $2-3. Not sure how dark or light of a red you need
You might try an office supply store like Staples, Office Max, etc.
You can find a red value finder at Cheap Joe’s or you can buy a sheet of red plexiglass on ebay and cut it down to the size you need. My students find the red plexi very helpful as they learn the skill of “seeing” values and also during development of their compositions. Many use it to check their work-in-progress to find why something just might not be working…often times it’s a value issue.
I’ve heard that green plexi is useful to use during plein air outings but I’ve never tried it (supposedly, it equalizes all the greens and lets you see their values better than the red plexi). I understand that quilters use both red and green plexi when designing their quilts and selecting fabric placement, so the use of these “helpers” isn’t just a painter’s thing!
It all comes down to changing one’s natural focus from color to value while “building” your painting or design. However, to use it effectively you need to understand the basics of composition and why one value is better than another in a particular spot.
Hope this helped.
Lene Daugaardsays
Hi Beverly the red acetate film was used in the days before the computer by graphic designers in the process of designing for print. As everything is made on computers now, it might be difficult to get the acetate, if not used in other business/industries. Perhaps office-supplie-stores? You use it to see values without seeing color. Color can disturb your view of correct values. Another (but slower) method is taking a dig-photo or scan your drawing, and then look at it in greyscale on your monitor… Lene
helensays
I get red clear paper from” 1 dollar ” store. -“wraping roll” .cut and attach with tape to cardbord with cut window , in size to you photo , you painting ,sketch or make few difrent sizes.
lousays
Possibly try Hobbycraft but I am not sure if they definately sell it.
Anonymoussays
Hello there, You have done a great job. I?ll certainly digg it and in my opinion suggest to my friends. I’m confident they will be benefited from this site.
Smarrissays
You can buy red gel film from a theatre supply store. I’ve been able to borrow a small amount from our high school theatre deparement so I dont have to purchase an entire roll. Phttps://www.stagelightingstore.com/830319-Most-Popular-Gel-Rolls
The red acetate is very helpful but it seems to me that all of the values are a bit deeper than those I see by squinting. Maybe the point of the red acetate is to show the RELATIONSHIPS of the values and not so much the accurate values themselves?
Beverly was asking about using red acetate. I have never used red acetate to check values, but if you have a digital camera it probably has a setting that lets you view the scene in black and white. This sounds easier to me.
There might be several things you are looking for with your values. You can check if the values you are painting match the values of the landscape or still life you are looking at.
You can check values to see if your painting is creating a pleasing balance of lights and darks. Are the lights and darks grouped in a pleasing design or scattered all over the surface?
Do you have a wide range of values or just a few? This is neither right nor wrong but just a matter of what you are intending to do.
I hope this is helpful.
Diane Overcash
Regarding Red Acetate. One source is to purchase a piece of clear red glass from a stained glass store, tape the edges to avoid cuts. I also have occasionaly found red acetate clear file folders in office supply stores but many are too opaque. You use this to look at the value in a painting, it removes the color and shows you the values which are not as defined as looking at colors. This really helps to push the darks against the lights in your paintings which are usually too mid-tone.
Try Dick Blick at http://www.dickblick.com. Search the site for acetate and you find single sheets for $2-3. Not sure how dark or light of a red you need
You might try an office supply store like Staples, Office Max, etc.
You can find a red value finder at Cheap Joe’s or you can buy a sheet of red plexiglass on ebay and cut it down to the size you need. My students find the red plexi very helpful as they learn the skill of “seeing” values and also during development of their compositions. Many use it to check their work-in-progress to find why something just might not be working…often times it’s a value issue.
I’ve heard that green plexi is useful to use during plein air outings but I’ve never tried it (supposedly, it equalizes all the greens and lets you see their values better than the red plexi). I understand that quilters use both red and green plexi when designing their quilts and selecting fabric placement, so the use of these “helpers” isn’t just a painter’s thing!
It all comes down to changing one’s natural focus from color to value while “building” your painting or design. However, to use it effectively you need to understand the basics of composition and why one value is better than another in a particular spot.
Hope this helped.
Hi Beverly
the red acetate film was used in the days before the computer by graphic designers in the process of designing for print.
As everything is made on computers now, it might be difficult to get the acetate, if not used in other business/industries. Perhaps office-supplie-stores?
You use it to see values without seeing color. Color can disturb your view of correct values.
Another (but slower) method is taking a dig-photo or scan your drawing, and then look at it in greyscale on your monitor…
Lene
I get red clear paper from” 1 dollar ” store. -“wraping roll” .cut and
attach with tape to cardbord with cut window , in size to you photo , you painting ,sketch or make few difrent sizes.
Possibly try Hobbycraft but I am not sure if they definately sell it.
Hello there, You have done a great job. I?ll certainly digg it and in my opinion suggest to my friends. I’m confident they will be benefited from this site.
You can buy red gel film from a theatre supply store. I’ve been able to borrow a small amount from our high school theatre deparement so I dont have to purchase an entire roll.
Phttps://www.stagelightingstore.com/830319-Most-Popular-Gel-Rolls
You can also buy these glasses:
https://www.amazon.com/Sew-Red-Glasses-Contrast-Evaluator/dp/B00I9L6WOK#productDescription_secondary_view_div_1517134581753
The red acetate is very helpful but it seems to me that all of the values are a bit deeper than those I see by squinting. Maybe the point of the red acetate is to show the RELATIONSHIPS of the values and not so much the accurate values themselves?