Color Value: Determining the Color Value of Fabrics
Determining the color value for fabrics in a quilt involves understanding how light and dark fabrics interact with your quilt’s design. Color value is essential for achieving contrast, balance, and depth in the quilt’s overall look. Here’s how to determine the color value for fabrics:
1. Understand the Basics of Color Value
- Light-value fabrics: These are mostly light in color, such as pastels, creams, light yellows, light greys, or whites. In the diagram above, the Light-value fabrics are at the left end.
- Medium-value fabrics: These fabrics are not too light or too dark, like mid-tone blues, greens, reds, and browns. They help transition from light to dark. With the diagram above, the Medium-value fabrics fall into the middle.
- Dark-value fabrics: These fabrics are deep in tone, such as navy, deep purple, charcoal, black, or dark browns. With the diagram above, the Dark-value fabrics are to the right.
The next step will help you determine where your fabrics fall on the value spectrum. Step 3 provides more information on checking the value scale.
2. Use a Black-and-White Photo to Evaluate Color Value
- Take a black-and-white photo of your fabric pieces. This is a simple and effective way to evaluate the value (lightness or darkness) of the fabrics. A black-and-white photo removes all color information, allowing you to see the fabrics in terms of lightness and darkness.
- Analyze the resulting image: Fabrics will appear in various shades of gray. Light fabrics will appear lighter (closer to white), while dark fabrics will be darker (closer to black).
3. Check Fabrics with a Color Value Scale
- Use a value scale: A value scale is a gradient from white to black, typically with 10 or more steps. Hold your fabrics next to the scale and compare them to determine if they are light, medium, or dark in value.
- Remember the importance of contrast: For good contrast, you want a mix of light, medium, and dark values. The higher the contrast, the more dynamic your quilt will appear.
There are reasons for creating a quilt with little contrast. Do a quick search for single-color quilts. A single-color quilt will still have varying values, but the distance between the color values is significantly less. If you are looking for a low-contrast, single-color quilt, choose fabric values that are close in value.
4. Consider the Quilt Design
- If your quilt has a pattern: Some quilt patterns rely on color value to create movement, depth, or shapes (such as in a disappearing nine-patch or a scrappy quilt). In this case, you will need to consider how the values will interact in relation to the design.
- Look at the layout: For example, in a log cabin quilt, you might want to alternate light and dark fabrics to create a clear, balanced design.
5. Experiment with Fabric Placement
- Make a test block: Before committing to fabric choices, try making a small test block to see how the values work together in the pattern.
- Adjust accordingly: If the quilt block doesn’t show enough contrast, switch out some fabrics for darker or lighter alternatives until you get the desired effect.
6. Use Value to Highlight or Subdue Elements
- Create emphasis: Use dark fabrics in areas where you want the eye to be drawn and light fabrics to soften or reduce emphasis in certain areas.
- Play with tonal value: Use fabrics with similar values for a more subtle, soothing effect (see the picture to the right). Use a broad range of values for a more striking and dramatic effect.
7. Consider the Lighting
- Natural light: The way colors appear can change depending on the light around you. A fabric that looks light in a store might appear darker at home due to different lighting conditions.
- Artificial light: Warm or cool light bulbs can affect how the colors look in your space, so always test fabrics under the type of light you’ll use when displaying the quilt.
Conclusion
By evaluating fabrics through black-and-white photos, using a value scale, and considering how the color values will interact in the design, you can achieve the right contrast and visual impact for your quilt. Combining light, medium, and dark values thoughtfully will help to create a quilt that has depth, movement, and balance.
If you choose to stay with one color family for this year’s Mystery Quilt, it can be a lesson in color value. It isn’t too late to join the fun, although you will need to print out all the steps ASAP. Once the mystery is complete, they will no longer be available free. Click HERE to find all the information you need.
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Until next time.
