6-8

Value Study Photo Illustrations

Lesson Length:

3-5 sessions, depending on image complexity

Materials:

Copic Sketchbook Paper or X-Press It Blending Card

Copic Sketch markers, Assorted colors, with color chart
Color Photograph, Outlines of the photograph

Goals

Students will take their own photograph and turn it into a

realistic photo illustration, either in color or monochrome.
They will learn how to identify color value and explore marker
rendering techniques for texture and patterns.

Notes before coloring

Keep clean scratch paper under your work at all times. Copic
markers will bleed through. If markers bleed onto table surfaces, it
can be cleaned up with hand sanitizer. Working on high quality
paper will help keep colors within lines.

8th grade students at OHara Catholic School, Eugene, OR

Students had participated in a digital photography unit earlier in the year. As part of their 8th grade graduation activities,
students converted their favorite photograph into line art. Then, they invited family and friends for an evening to come and color
their line art based on their photograph. Each participant was given line art and the color photograph to look at. When done, the
colored versions were presented with the photographs in a mini gallery setting. It was a good way to involve non-artists in the
creative process and the school is hoping to make this an annual event.

Gray Value Study

In this lesson we will be focusing on a value study, working

with a grayscale photograph. Color photographs are better for
more advanced students. Copic markers come in many
shades of gray, in 4 different tone families. Each marker is
coded in a 0-10 value scale, with 0 being lightest and 10 being
closest to black.

1. Create line art from a photo

Making a photo outline from a digital file:
1. Take a digital photograph of something important to you.
Photos with strong colors and good contrast will create the
best outlines.
2. Using the internet, you can convert the photo to outlines for
free. Our favorite site is www.befunky.com. Click the tab Edit
Photos and locate the photo on your computer. On the right
side of the screen, click on the little paintbrush icon and scroll
down to the Sketcher option. Click Sketcher 2, and it will
convert to outlines. Move the sliders to get the right outlines,
and save your photo when you are happy with it.
3. Print on nice paper. We like a 5 x 7 size. If the picture is
too big, it takes a while to color, if it is too small, it is hard to
see details.
Trace an outline from a printed photo:
1. On tracing paper or a light table, trace the main outlines
from any high-contrast image. Encourage students to look for
main lines and not get too hung up on details. 5 x 7 is a
good size.
2. Photocopy the outlines onto good paper and save the
original for future copies.

2. Identify Values

On a sturdy piece of paper,

have students create a value
scale with markers. Punch a
hole in each color swatch and
have students overlay on the
photo. This helps students
identify colors much easier.

N0
N2
N4
N6
N8

3. Color artwork, light to dark

When working with markers, you can layer
colors to create intermediate values, so having
students work with all odd or even numbers in a
value range will be sufficient. Marker ink tends to
go on darker than expected, so when in doubt,
work lighter than the color indicated on a chart.

1
2

For large areas, use the side of the brush. Start light and add
darker colors in streaks following the direction of the water
ripples.
To fade colors out to the white of the paper, use the colorless
blender. This is the base solvent of Copic inks, like adding
water to a watercolor painting.

2
1

3
5
3

To color smooth, flat areas, evenly soak

your paper by coloring in circles. Use
the side of the brush for large areas,
moving more to the tip of the marker for
fine details and edges. Flip your paper
over to see how smooth your coloring
is.

For even blends and gradients, start

with the lighter value. With the brush
end, feather in the darker color by lifting
up at the end of each stroke. Go back
over the area where the two meet with
the lighter value to blend.

To create grassy texture, move to the tip of the

brush and scribble colors in. Add flicks and streaks
just as you would with a traditional paintbrush.

When displaying finished artwork, keep in mind that marker

illustrations will fade over time. Put them in an area without
harsh lighting or direct sun, or display a print of the original.
After doing a gray value version of the work, encourage
students to try a colored version. Again, make swatches
using the colors they have available. Discuss color mixing
and blending to achieve intermediary colors. Have students
take copies of their outlines home and have family and
friends also try coloring their photograph.

2014 Photograph by Brian Walker, artwork by Marianne Walker exclusive for Imagination International Inc, Copic Marker www.copicmarker.com