Foregrounds and Backgrounds

Foregrounds and Backgrounds – There is no absolute rule regulating the question as to whether the foreground should be darker in tone than the background; for circumstances, as to time and place. must be taken into consideration. Generally speaking, however, the foreground and middle ground should be the parts of the picture in which appears the greatest display of color or tone; where the darkest effects are shown.

Suitable Contrast - It is, however, more a question of suitable contrast than anything else. In pictures where a single human figure or a group occupies the foreground, the background should be light and merely suggestive in the way of details. The contrast is more generally produced by having the objects in the foreground dark and those in the background light. The lines in the background should, in certain instances, be much finer than those in the foreground, and with very slight, if any, accentuations.

Avoid Flatness – The keynote of attractiveness in a picture is frequently a matter of contrasts. Flatness is an almost unpardonable fault. By introducing strong contrasts, flatness is avoided. By playing heavy lines against light ones, strong tones against weak ones, contrasts are produced.

Practice Outline – The outline is of the greatest importance, frequently being complete in itself as a means of representation of form. To copy slavishly the outlines found in copies or nature is not altogether necessary if the general forms are preserved.

Mass Drawing – In drawing, a knowledge of the masses will aid greatly in giving the general impression and in indicating the position and form of the various details. These masses should be shaded in the drawing to reproduce the tones as they appear to the eye. A soft pencil is best adapted for this purpose. A very limited range of tones is required to produce excellent results. It is best to draw masses not with the point of the pencil, but by holding it at an angle and drawing with the side of the lead. This is to relieve the mind of the impression of lines and to allow the mind to concern itself simply with the shape and density of the various tones of light and dark. It is a good plan to outline the various masses before filling them in, as this will enable the pupil to adhere more closely to the true shapes and edges of the masses.

Easy Examples in Light and Shade – The examples below show how, by simple means, the direction of the light may be indicated. In 1 may be seen the light coming from the right side; 2 shows the light coming from above, and in 3 the light on the walnut is from below.

The heavy lines in an outline or slightly shaded drawing should be made to indicate those parts which are against the light; the light lines the parts nearest to the light. In the drawings of the tree trunks, light and shade effects are shown by opposite instances. In 4 the light comes from the right, in 5 from the left. Draw other objects from nature or imagination, such as a cup, a stone, an ink-bottle or top, and note the light and shade effects.

Accentuation in Outline Drawings – In outline drawings, this general rule may well be adopted, subject to exceptions dependable largely on the common sense of teacher and pupil: The strongest accents and broadest lines should represent the nearest or most important lines of the subject.

Lines representing portions of the background or unimportant detail should be drawn with lighter and less accented strokes.

Accented lines can be taught profitably at the outset almost. Their use produces facility and strength in handling. The invariable use of unaccented lines is more or less offending, even to the uneducated eye.

In the upper drawing the lines are even, monotonous. In the lower one accentuation is evident. Which is the more pleasing to the eye?

Figs. 11, 12, 13 and 14. Fig. II is the beginning of the finished sketch, Fig. 12; while Fig 13 is the beginning of the finished sketch, Fig. 14. When drawing Fig. 12, the pupil finished the foreground first, which looked strong at the time. Nevertheless, when the background was put in, with its tones similar to the foreground, the latter appeared weak. Fig. 13 shows the beginning of the other sketch, Fig. 14. In this drawing the background was finished first and the foreground last. As a result, the foreground stands out strongly in contrast to the background. Whenever the background is put in first the impulse is to place strength in the foreground. By doing so an arrangement .of strongly contrasting light and dark tones is more apt to be produced, giving to the sketch the ever desired effect of power and value.