Archaeologists get excited when they discover a tool used eons ago. Often that tool will reveal something about how it was used, but that information is accessible only to a degree. The tangible tool itself contains clues, but the user's goal must be assumed. TANGIBLE TOOL VS. INTANGIBLEIn
painting, our brushes and our palette knives are our tangible tools. How we use them requires skills for applying and moving the paint on our painting surface. That is tangible. Beyond that, we create results by contrasting and gradating, something that is intangible, but functional. When we use the skills of contrast and gradation, we do so to make something happen, and that is the point at which they become tools themselves, though intangible. Yes, historically, these have been called principles, but
the word principle doesn't suggest doing. In our paintings, both gradation and contrast are themselves doing something. We, the painters, do stuff with our tangible tools to made them do intangible stuff in our paintings. WHAT BOUGUEREAU DID WITH THESE TOOLSBouguereau used the tools of contrast and gradation in his The Little Knitter. I have indicated below a selection of how he used the both tools. See if you can find more. Contrast shows
differences between two elements. Those differences vary from not much to a whole lot. Gradation shows a continuous linking of differences. These too can vary in degree. Among other things, the gradation tool can be used to show transitions, to show roundness of volume, to show lost edges, to soften edges. The skill required is an ability to blend. The contrast tool can be used to show where light meets shadow, where one shape ends and the other begins, to create luminosity, to create texture, and more. The skill it requires is the ability to use the brush as a shape maker rather than just an
applicator. Both tools require the skill of observing and comparing. No talent required! Enjoy a fun weekend making using intangible tools! During my Language of Painting series, I explained the role of our visual elements. If you'd like to review those roles to better understand the behavior of elements, here are the links to each of those
discussions: Color --Value -- Shape -- Texture -- Size -- Line and Direction
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