Let me just first point out by saying that I didn't begin this drawing by plotting contour lines around the outside edges of the blocks. Contour lines have a tendency to look flat, much like how an illustrated map of continents emphasizes borders. Remember, we want to have the object to have weight and to look as 3-dimesional as possible. Because of this, I began by drawing the blocks from their insides, filling them in – much like filling-up a glass with water. I also simplified what I was looking at – I saw the shadow of the object and its cast shadow as one flat shape.
Afterward, I rendered two different value scenarios using computer.
These value studies are about exploring relationships. In the first sketch, the background and foreground are similar values – linking them together, like siblings or cousins. The viewer's attention is now focused on other elements which are perceived as being different from the majority (the light side and shadow of the blocks). The second sketch groups the foreground with the shadow. And finally, in the third sketch the background is merged with the shadow. Notice how I kept my values to only three (dark, mid-tone and light).
What if we matched the foreground value with the light side of the object? What would that communicate? Where would your attention shift? I think of the thing that stands out the most, the thing that is not like the others, as the ugly duckling. Look for the ugly duckling.
Use this as a tool to help express what may be important to you. Hopefully, you can see that drawing the object well is not as important as understanding overall value structure to communicate an idea, elicit an overall mood, or express an emotion.
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