What is Tone in Art?

What is tone in art? Put simply, it's all about lights and darks - it can make all the difference between a lack-lustre painting or drawing, or one that really grabs the viewer!


How is that done? One of the important ways is by using tone:


• To create a particular mood or atmosphere
• To create a focal point
• To suggest depth or distance
• To create the illusion of form

Take a look at the artist's work below - see how they've used tone in different ways to get their ideas across.

Which one appeals to you the most? How about using the same technique in your own work?




    

Creating Mood or Atmosphere

The artist's pointillist technique of tiny paint dots describes a  peaceful, slightly misty, moonlit harbour so well.

As it's a night scene with lower light levels, the colours are fairly muted, but of course, they still have tones.

Here the blues take centre stage -  ranging from very light to very dark tones, intermixed with pinks, greens and the yellows of the moonlit sky.

The moon and it's reflection in the water look so bright because the artist positioned dark tones near them.

A very different mood for this abstract with bright colors and jagged shapes suggesting noise, lights and crowded streets.

But again, the light tones are emphasised due to their being surrounded by very dark tones.

So it's the same simple technique used to convey a different mood.

Oo, a bit creepy, this one!  We're high up, watching a lone figure as he is about to cross the looming shadow of a street lamp.

Everything feels very quiet - too quiet. Is that a saloon on the corner? If it is, they shut hours ago -  no welcoming light there for him now.

Will he cross that dark line? I don't fancy his chances round the corner, do you?!

This time, in this etching it's the very dark tones of the figure and street lamp shadow that stand out most - due to their being almost surrounded by a large area of light.

Now, let's get out in the sun, because the tone element isn't just useful for night scenes, it can portray sunshine too.

In this painting the shadows on columns, wall, grass and climbing plants are all done with mid to dark tones.

These contrast well with the light areas, particularly the white shawl -  the sunlight and shadows helping to convey a mood of relaxation on a beautiful, scented Spring day in France.

Creating a Focal point

This sunlit interior obeys the same principle - light against dark or dark against  light - here describing a family meal on a sunny day.

We can see many areas where contrasting tone brings our attention to the details.

But the main focus of the painting, and whole point of it's title, is the white horse and the mother leaning towards it.

And to make the horse and mother stand out from everything else that's going on at the table, the artist has framed their very light tones in a large area of very dark.

(In fact, that area is so dark, you might miss the figure of father going off to do some ploughing!)

Works well, don't you think?!

Suggesting Depth or Distance

I expect you recognise this painting, a favourite one for Christmas cards!

The starkest tonal contrasts, darkest tones and brightest colour are kept for the foreground trees, birds and figures.

The slope down to the water-mill and frozen water are painted in more muted tones - until furthest away, the distant town and hills are most muted of all.

Creating the Illusion of Form

Tone is a brilliant tool to make something look 3-dimensional in our artwork.

If you're drawing an object from life, and want to make life easy for yourself, it's always good to have the light source coming from one direction only! 

Where was the light source when Da Vinci was working here - over his shoulder and slightly to the left, do you think? 

No doubt you've drawn objects from life yourself, carefully looking for variations in tone just as Da Vinci did. Nice to think we're in the company of such a great master, isn't it?

Not much colour, if any, is needed to make us feel we're there with him looking at that drapery. It's almost like a 3-dimensional sculpture but all done with tone on a flat surface - lights, darks and everything in between.

Ready to Try it Out For Yourself?

So what is tone in art? Now you know! There's nothing difficult about it - once you know what you want to say, you have four ways of using tone to help you say it.

You've probably decided which one of the above artist's examples appeals to you the most. Remember, you're not stuck with their subject matter - the different ways of using tone will work just as well with any subject.

You can make something look brighter: make something look darker: really show up an important focal point; convey an atmosphere, or make something look three-dimensional. The choice is yours!

So, add tone to your tool box, along with any other art elements you like to work with, and you'll be amazed at the difference it will make to your art!

Have a go - you can do it!

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