Last week, we mentioned how the illusion of depth and volume is an important part of the art process, as the fundamental we call Form. We delved into the most prominent example of form in our analysis of Van Gogh’s Café Terrace at Night, the principle known as Linear Perspective, however we also mentioned how form can be created by using light and shadows. But how does one create these light and shadows?
Today, we are looking into value, the first of our fundamentals that deals with pigment. Value is the fundamental that expresses how light or dark a colour is, regardless of its hue. This is a fundamental that is intrinsically connected to light, and how it behaves when interacting with colours, or bouncing off of objects we see.
When values that are put next to/overlapping with each other are very different—such as black (the darkest value) and white (the lightest value)—we say that that area is a high contrast area. Conversely, when an area has very similar values juxtaposed against each other, we say it is a low contrast area. This contrast is used to not only create depth, but also to create distinction, and it is a tool that artists can use to very effectively set the tone of a painting. If an artist does not have complete control of their values, however, the work can suffer from it.
Van Gogh, Vincent. “Café Terrace at Night.” Wikimedia, May 29, 2026. Kröller-Müller Museum. Netherlands. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Van_Gogh_-_Terrace_of_a_Caf%C3%A9_at_Night_(Place_du_Forum)_1888.jpg.
Looking at our Van Gogh, we can now name the focal point of the painting: the figure dressed in white, perhaps a waiter, at the centre of the café. We can recognise this because all the leading lines lead to them, but also because they contrast so much against the elements around them. Our eyes are instantly drawn to the bright white clothes, which are made higher contrast by the people dressed in black in their immediate vicinity. This is then pushed even further by how low contrast the remaining of the lit area of the café is.
The values in the background also serve a narrative purpose. They are both low contrast and dark values, which creates a sense of unknown. We can’t distinguish some figures from the buildings behind them.
A lot of contrast is also created by the use of colours. We will take an in-depth look into the world of colours next week, delving into Van Gogh’s use of colour theory. For now, can you see how contrast is applied to create light and shadow in this workfrom one of our students?
