
THE EXTREMES 229
9.11
The background looks white, and the bust looks to
be a light gray. The brain interprets such a scene as
white-on-white.
9.12
The background is now a light gray, and the bust
appears white. The brain now interprets the visual
message as white-on-gray rather than white-on-white.
Figure 9.12 is not a bad picture. It still has good tonal distinction between
the subject and the background, and it is pleasing in every other way. You
may prefer the lighting, and we have no reason to discourage it. We are
simply saying that it is not a good white-on-white example.
Because this section is about white-on-white, we will keep t