04 Value Studies

Value studies use no color. They test light, midtone, shadow, and contrast.

Value Bands

| Band | Purpose | Rule |

| --- | --- | --- |

| Light | focal highlight and material response | never covers the whole form |

| Midtone | local material identity | largest readable region |

| Shadow | mass, depth, grounding | must preserve silhouette |

| Accent dark | joints, gaps, occlusion | used sparingly |

1. Convert the concept to 4 values.

2. Check silhouette at 100%, 75%, 50%, and 25%.

3. Confirm focal point is still visible without color.

4. Confirm foreground assets separate from background values.

5. Reject concepts that need color to be readable.

| Asset Type | Minimum Read |

| --- | --- |

| Hero | face, hands, weapon, feet |

| Enemy | threat direction and attack limb |

| Boss | core weak point and attack mass |

| Background | lanes, hazards, interactables |

| UI | active, selected, disabled states |

| FX | source, direction, impact center |