LIGHT AND SHADE IN WAT E R COLOUR: 2 OF 3
The best way to assess tonal values, in a view or subject you want to paint, is to look for the darkest dark/s and the lightest light/s, and use these as benchmarks for the tonal values in the painting. Everything else falls between these two tonal extremes, even if the extremes are not far apart in themselves. When the subject matter has depth and space the nearer items will appear stronger in tone (brighter/deeper/ sharper) and the distant items will be lighter (duller/paler/less defined) by comparison, even if they appear dark to the eye. The lightest lights and darkest darks will most likely be in, or near, the foreground or in the focus of the painting. If the depth of field is shallow then tonal recession will be negligible.
Tonal counterchange