Experience of tone-harmony in two and three values brings appreciation of no-tan-structure and lays a solid foundation for advanced work.
SCALE. At this point construct a scale introducing more delicate relations of tone, and involving finer judgment as to intervals.
A scale of white, black and three grays
| (a) | will be best for beginning, to be followed by a scale of seven values |
|---|---|
| (b). | See page 88. These may be made with Japanese ink, water color, charcoal or oil; but not with pencil as it has not depth enough. |
The values here are only approximate; perfect accuracy cannot be obtained by the half-tone process.
EXERCISE
Choose a textile, or any design with a variety of spaces, and try notan-effects with tones from the scale. The object is to discover a fine notan-scheme of values, and by using the scale one is assured of definite intervals. If the notes are mixed in quantity, they may be tried upon a half-dozen tracings at once, from which the best should be chosen. Remember that the scale-work is only an exercise to help toward clarity of tone, and to encourage invention. Harmony of dark-and-light does not depend upon fixed intervals, nor will the composer adhere to any scale in his original creative work.
Some results of this exercise are shown in No. 58, page 91.
[pg 90]