Notan Generator

What is notan?

Notan is the Japanese design idea of light-dark harmony: reducing an image down to just two (or three) values to reveal the underlying pattern of a composition. Strip away colour, detail, and gradation, and what's left is the shape structure everything else is built on. After doing enough of these, you notice how much information two flat values can carry, and how much room that leaves for interpretation rather than copying.

Why artists use notan

• Evaluating whether a composition is actually strong before investing time rendering it
• Solving composition problems in minutes rather than hours
• Studying the underlying structure of a favourite painting
• Simplifying an overwhelming reference down to its essential shapes
• Checking your own work the way squinting does, but consistently

How this tool works

Upload a reference and choose a 2-value or 3-value read. A threshold slider (or a pair of them, in 3-value mode) controls exactly where the split between light and dark falls. Drag it to one extreme and work it back until you land on a pattern you're happy with. It's a personal call; you might land on a different read doing the same image on a different day, so feel free to run it a few times. A simplification slider smooths the source first for cleaner shapes, and you can toggle the original photo back on at any point to compare.

Notan vs. value study

Notan is really just a value study with the level count locked to two or three. Use notan for a quick composition check; reach for Value Study when you need more levels to understand form and subtler lighting.

Combine with other tools

• Use Value Study when you need more than three levels
• Follow up with Shape Simplifier to turn the same pattern into paintable shapes