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How (and Why) to Use Contrasting Values in Motion Design (Quick Tip Tutorial)

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Master Motion Designer and SOM Alum Jacob Richardson Breaks Down the Dos and Don'ts of Designing with Value and Contrast

Many motion designers are quite keen on complexity. Rightfully so, since tricky designs can be great attention grabbers. They can't, however, mask or compensate for weak fundamentals.

When it comes to the basics, there's probably nothing more important than understanding contrasting values.

School of Motion alum Jacob Richardson, a Birmingham-based freelanced 2D animator and director, has developed a Quick Tip Tutorial video on value-based design.

If you've yet to master using lightness and darkness to design effective compositions, this brief tutorial is for you.

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What is Value-Based Design?

Simply, value-based design refers to creating forms and signifying space or distance, or creating forms or the illusion of volume or mass within a shape or space, by adjusting relative lightness or darkness; or, how much tint (addition of white) or shade (addition of black) there is in a color.

The difference in contrasting values helps the eye separate elements of an image and understand the design being presented.

Images with high values express lightness, airiness, or openness; images with lower values express darkness, weight, or gloom.

In the illustrations below, Jacob demonstrates what happens when you adjust values (right), and when you don't (left). The fishbowl on the left is designed with different colors; however, since the values of all the colors are so similar, the illustration is difficult to decipher. On the right, that same fishbowl displays distinctly, with adjustments to the color values.

Value Based Design - Good vs Bad Fish Bowl Example.png

THE IMPORTANCE OF CONTRASTING VALUES

If the above illustration hasn't sold you, think about this.

What happens when you hit the street for a run at night, dressed in dark colors, without your reflective gear? You risk getting run over by a moving vehicle. Why? You blend in with your surroundings — no contrast! Now, imagine that same run at that same hour, outfitted with bright white sneakers, a neon jacket, arm bands, and a headlamp. You've significantly improved your chances of returning home in one piece. How? With your safety attire, you've leveraged contrasting values to increase your visibility, against your surroundings — exactly what artfully contrasted values achieve in dynamic design.

Below is a real-world design example. With its Samsung Galaxy Note 10 ad, Verizon achieves the desired effect with its stark, heavy, bold black text and phone shadow against the bright white background.

Value Based Design - Verizon Branding Example.png

For more on "making dynamic compositions" with contrasting values, watch this Design Theory video from The Futur, starring Matthew Encina:

OTHER KEY MOTION DESIGN TERMS

Value and contrast are two of the many terms you'll need to know to excel as a motion designer.

Learning the lingo makes it easier to successfully complete continued education courses, collaborate with other designers and search online for tips. That's why we created The Essential Motion Design Dictionary, featuring 140 of the most important terms and concepts in the field.

Download it free today:

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READY TO EXPAND YOUR SKILL SET?

While our free online tutorials can make a major difference in your motion design career (try this one, for example), to truly take advantage of what SOM has to offer, you'll want to enroll in one of our courses, taught by the top motion designers in the world.

We know this isn't a decision to be made lightly. Our classes aren't easy, and they're not free. They're interactive and intensive, and that's why they're effective.

In fact, 99.7% of our alumni recommend School of Motion as a great way to learn motion design. (Makes sense: many of them go on to work for the biggest brands and best studios on earth!)

Want to make moves in the motion design industry?

Pick the course that's right for you:

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You'll gain access to our private student groups; receive personalized, comprehensive critiques from professional artists; and grow faster than you ever thought possible.


EXPLORE ALL COURSES ➔

Dive into real-time 3D with our Unreal Engine beginner's course by Jonathan Winbush. Master importing assets, world-building, animation, and cinematic sequences to create stunning 3D renders in no time! Perfect for motion designers ready to level up.

Explore this Course âž”

Unlock the secrets of character design in this dynamic course! Explore shape language, anatomy rules, and motifs to craft animation-ready characters. Gain drawing tips, hacks, and Procreate mastery (or any drawing app). Ideal for artists seeking to elevate their craft.

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Elevate your freelance motion design career with our guide to client success. Master a repeatable method for finding, contacting, and landing clients. Learn to identify prospects, nurture leads, and develop a thriving freelance philosophy amidst chaos.

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Rev up your editing skills with After Effects! Learn to use it for everyday needs and craft dynamic templates (Mogrts) for smarter teamwork. You'll master creating animated graphics, removing unwanted elements, tracking graphics, and making customizable templates.

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Stand out with Demo Reel Dash! Learn to spotlight your best work and market your unique brand of magic. By the end, you'll have a brand new demo reel and a custom campaign to showcase yourself to an audience aligned with your career goals.

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Illuminate your 3D skills with Lights, Camera, Render! Dive deep into advanced Cinema 4D techniques with David Ariew. Master core cinematography skills, gain valuable assets, and learn tools and best practices to create stunning work that wows clients.

Explore this Course âž”

Master After Effects at your own pace with Jake Bartlett's beginner course. Perfect for video editors, you'll learn to create stylish animated graphics, remove unwanted elements, and track graphics into shots. By the end, you'll be equipped for everyday AE needs and more.

Explore this Course âž”

Revolutionize your Premiere workflow with customizable AE templates! Master creating dynamic Motion Graphics Templates (Mogrts) in After Effects to speed up your team's work. By the end, you'll craft easily-customizable templates for seamless use in Premiere Pro.

Explore this Course âž”
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Not sure where to start?

If you’re a beginner, here are some great courses to help you get started:

After Effects Kickstart

Dive into the fundamentals of motion design with our most popular (and recently updated) After Effects course.

LEARN MORE

Photoshop + Illustrator Unleashed

Master the basics of Photoshop and Illustrator and gain invaluable insights in this introductory level course.

LEARN MORE

Design Kickstart

An introduction to the design principles behind all great work.

LEARN MORE

More Advanced?

If you’re a more advanced student looking to up your game, here are some great options:

Animation Bootcamp

Learn the art and principles of creating beautiful movements in Adobe After Effects.

LEARN MORE

Design Bootcamp

Learn to design for motion in this intermediate-level, project-based course.

LEARN MORE

Cinema 4D Basecamp

Learn Cinema 4D from the ground up in this exciting introductory C4D course.

LEARN MORE

Now is the time to learn the skills you need to advance in your motion design career: