95 TONE AS STRUCTURE
TONAL RELATIONSHIPS IN REPRESENTATIONAL ROLES
Tone is the property of relative lightness or darkness of an object. The human eye has an extraordinary sensitivity to tone, which is registered by an array of sensors on the retina called rods. Each eye contains approximately 94 million rods, each of which is capable of recording light levels down to a single photon.
In painting and drawing, tonal values can be used for a variety of purposes:
• Tone can be used to distinguish between elements.
• Tone is employed to create form and secure the illusion of consistent light throughout a painting or drawing. The artist creates a range of tones from light to dark that correspond to the range that is displayed in the subject matter. ...
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