Value Map Generator

What Is a Value Map?

A value map strips away color to show only the lightness and darkness of an image. It's like converting to grayscale, but with the added ability to simplify values into distinct levels (like a 3-value, 5-value, or 9-value study).

Understanding values is one of the most important skills in art. Values create the illusion of form, depth, and light. A painting with accurate values will "read" correctly even if the colors are off. A painting with wrong values will look flat no matter how beautiful the colors.

Why Artists Do Value Studies

Professional artists have done value studies for centuries. Here's why:

• Understand form - Values show how light wraps around 3D objects
• Plan compositions - See if your lights and darks create visual interest
• Identify problems early - Catch value mistakes before committing to color
• Simplify complex scenes - Break down overwhelming references into manageable shapes
• Learn from references - See how master painters organized their values

How the Value Tool Works

Upload any image and the Value Tool will:

• Convert the image to grayscale using perceptual luminance (not just averaging RGB)
• Let you adjust the number of value levels (2, 3, 5, or more)
• Show clear separation between value groups
• Tap to highlight - Touch anywhere on the image to highlight all areas with that value
• Apply smoothing - Optionally smooth the image before calculating values to reduce noise and see cleaner value masses

You can use this alongside the original image while painting, or as a preliminary study before starting.

Smart Grouping: Better Value Boundaries

Most value map tools divide the grayscale range into equal chunks - if you ask for 5 values, they split 0-255 into five even slices. This creates a problem: the boundaries fall wherever the math dictates, not where the actual tones in your image naturally separate.

The result? Harsh, arbitrary transitions that cut through gradients and group unrelated tones together. A face might have its highlight and midtone lumped into one value while the shadow gets split across two.

Our Value Tool uses Smart Grouping to find natural value boundaries based on what actually appears in your image. It analyzes the distribution of tones and places boundaries where they make sense - preserving the relationships between light and shadow that make your reference work.

Value Studies for Different Purposes

2-Value Study (Notan)

The simplest form - just light and dark. Great for checking if your composition has a strong abstract pattern. See our notan generator for more on this.

3-Value Study

Light, midtone, and dark. This is the classic thumbnail study approach. If your painting works in 3 values, it will work in full detail.

5+ Value Study

More nuanced value separation. Useful for understanding subtle gradations and complex lighting situations.

Combine with Color Analysis

Value maps are just one part of Color Study. You can also:

• Extract the color palette from your reference
• Create a notan study for composition
• Simplify your image into clear, paintable shapes
• Get paint mixing guidance to match colors accurately