The human eye gathers information about an object or scene in two separate ways—the amount of light that strikes an object and the color of the object. Once the eye has determined both the light value and color value of an object, the information is merged to create the image that we see. Although we see a shiny red apple that casts a shadow, the eye sees first the shine and shadow, then the red, and finally creates the total image of a three-dimensional, highlighted, red object with a shadow.
Highlights and shadows are called tonal values. These tonal values range from the darkest black to the brightest white area of an image. Shades of brown and gray are also considered tonal values. Colors, called hues, include the primary hues of red, yellow, and blue. You can mix hues and tonal values—pastel yellow is a mixture of the primary hue of yellow and white tonal value, where navy blue is a mixture of the primary color blue and the tonal value of black.
Pyrography works in the same manner. The attached pattern is a great project to master the variations of tonal values and achieving depth in your work.
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