Reference
Grayscale Image
Click the image to sample a value.
Tap the image to read its value.
Click to upload your image
Painting Analysis
M8 Value Checker
Built from 25+ years of studio practice.
Value
Ready
Your first Basic Value upload is free. More Basic uploads unlock with lifetime access, or reset after 3 days. Want deeper insight into your painting? Try Quick Check for full analysis, or explore Composition Checker and Color Checker. Quick Check combines value, composition, and color into one analysis.
How to check values in a painting
Color can make two passages look more different than their lightness really is. Use a grayscale view and the M8 value scale to study the separation between light, halftone, and shadow.
- Upload a painting or reference and start with the grayscale image.
- Sample the focal area and the nearby background. On the M8 scale, 1 is lightest and 20 is darkest.
- Use a 3-, 5-, or 7-value map to see the larger groups, then compare your painting with the reference when both images are available.
A studio example
If a painted white cup disappears into a pale background, sample both areas. Then examine the 3-value map: do the cup and background merge into the same group? Test a clearer value separation where you want the viewer to look.
What to keep in mind
A photograph and screen can shift apparent values. Use the reading as a comparison aid, then check the actual painting under consistent light. Basic and Pro access conditions are shown in the tool.