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Value · Tool

Value Isolator

Collapse any image into 3–8 value tiers so you can see the value structure underneath the colour and detail.

When to use it

Before you start a painting, to plan your value plan. Or after, to check whether your shadow family really reads as one shape.

Value Isolator — screenshot

How to use it

  1. 01

    Upload an image.

  2. 02

    Set the number of tiers — start at 4 to see the bones, raise it to 6–8 to inspect transitions.

  3. 03

    Click a swatch to isolate that single value tier.

  4. 04

    Use the value-key shift slider to test the same scene as a high-key or low-key painting.

One practical tip

If your subject reads at 3 tiers, it'll read at 30. If it falls apart at 3, no amount of rendering will save it later.