Create: Form & Value

Three Hands, Two Holding Forks, Nuenen: late March-early April, 1885. Images © Stichting Van Gogh Museum.

Form is a three dimensional geometrical figure (ie.: sphere, cube, cylinder, cone, etc.). There are two types of Form: geometric – a skyscraper and natural – the hands above. Whereas Shape is two-dimensional, or flat, like the drawings you created while interacting with Line. 

 

The illusion of Form on paper is created by using Value, the relationship between light & dark. Value will define objects depth & perception. For example, the drawing by Van Gogh above uses Value to create the three-dimensionality of the hands. 

Interact with Form & Value

Find two photographs that represent the two kinds of form: geometric & natural. Try to draw these photographs using value to create depth. You can do this by pressing harder or softer on your pencil or by layering the lines on top of one another.