Value Scale (Tints & Shades)
See a complete 10-step value range from light tints to dark shades with mixing recipes for each step.
What is a Value Scale?
A value scale shows the full range of lightness for a colour — from its lightest tint (mixed with white) to its darkest shade (mixed with black or a complement). This is essential for painters working with light and shadow.
How to Access
Tap the gradient icon on any paint match card in the results screen. This opens the Value Scale view for that specific paint.
The 10-Step Display
The value scale shows 10 colour steps arranged from lightest to darkest:
| Steps | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1–4 | Tints (lighter) | The paint progressively mixed with white — step 1 is the lightest |
| 5 | Base colour | The paint at full strength (your matched paint) |
| 6–10 | Shades (darker) | The paint progressively mixed with black — step 10 is the darkest |
Mixing Recipes
Each step displays a mixing recipe so you can recreate it on your palette:
- Tints: e.g., "70% Cadmium Red + 30% Titanium White"
- Shades: e.g., "60% Cadmium Red + 40% Ivory Black"
Recipes use paints from the same brand and line where possible.
Saving Individual Steps
Each value step has a save button. Tap it to save that specific tint or shade as a colour in your palette for future reference.
Practical Use
The value scale is particularly useful for:
- Portrait painting — Creating flesh tone variations for highlights and shadows
- Landscape painting — Matching atmospheric perspective (distant objects become lighter/bluer)
- Still life — Rendering form through smooth value transitions
- Pre-mixing — Setting up a value string on your palette before painting
When mixing tints in practice, always add the colour to the white — not the other way around. A small amount of pigment goes a long way when lightening.