By Spramani Elaun
Teaching children the meaning of value can be a fun activity. I teach children how to paint on a regular basis and value is a very important lesson I teach right away. This lesson is important so kids can achieve their desired color mixtures. I start teaching this to children as young as five, but recommend waiting till first grade ages. Teaching value is about teaching kids how-to observe lightness and darkness in colors. It’s important for you to understand every person experiences color in their own brain! But learning to mix different color values is something you can teach kids easily with practice.
Why is teaching color value important?
Teaching kids how to see, choose, and mix different color values helps create moods in their artworks. This also helps kids mix colors they need with the colors choices they only have available. As students get more interested in creating with color it becomes easier to create their desired mixtures.
What does value mean?
Value – has lightness or darkness of tones or colors. White is the lightest value; black is the darkest. value can be taught in drawing, painting and color theory mixing lessons. Value is important to drawing and painting, value changes are what creates contrast. Contrast helps us understand 2-D artworks. Value is the lightness or darkness of a color or hue.
How I Teach Value
I like to start with teaching kids how to mix simple primary colors into secondary colors, then change the secondary color into three values. Example: Mix red and yellow to make an orange. Then challenge kids to make three values of that color by making a light, medium and dark orange by adjusting the darkest pigment of the two. After that’s done, we talk about the meaning of value. Sometimes I’ll follow that up with another activity like paper collaging different color values together in fun shapes or designs.
One Step Further: FREE Color Mixing Lesson
Here’s a fun autumn activity from my new Kids Color Theory Practice & Process Curriculum.
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