Is high contrast good?

[DaemonMagus]

I have some innate feeling that all my pieces must have a really dark color and a really light color in them, it has to have a near black and a near white, is that a bad thing? Can a piece still work if closer to grey? Or should you try to stay towards either the darks or the lights?

[DramaticDigital]

It seems like it depends on the effect you’re trying to achieve but I’m exactly the same way. I think it adds depth to your image and your image has more of an impact.

[SinisteR]

This is exactly what I do, but it didn`t quite hit me until I just read this thread. In my portrait parts of the face which are brightly lit are usually completely white, while I know now that`s quite impossible (unless your subject is an albino, and even in that case I`m not quite sure) I still do it!
For some reason it just makes it look better. This is probably a matter of personal taste though.

[Elwell]

Short answer:
It depends.

Longer answer:
It depends on
(a) The local values of the objects in the picture,
(b) The lighting and atmospheric conditions,
(c) How you choose to modify these for pictorial effect.

So sometimes a high contrast solution will be exactly right for a certain picture, sometimes it will be totally wrong. Look at paintings, photos, and especially movies and see how different value structures are used to tell the story.

[Bradart]

let me break it down like my art teachers and professionals ive met have told me:
the lightest light in the drawing is white.
The darkest dark is black.
The midtones realte to these extremes.

[Ochre Face]

It all comes down to what you wish to achieve. For me, high contrast goes in the same category with too many highlights -- just enough can make a piece come to life, but too much contrast or highlights makes my work look gaudy and mechanical.

Also, in painting skin, I rarely see a value that is pure white. Even highlights are not just white. Cerulean blue comes in handy here. (There are exceptions of course, like style -- like using the white of the paper in watercolor or ink)

It is important to remember that everything is relative; your values should be adjusted so that they are in relationship with each other.