A mid-tonal field is an area of a drawing or painting that is made up of tones that are neither extremely dark nor light. Mid-tones are exactly as they sound - tones that are in the middle of the range between dark and light.
It is a common exercise in art school to explore tones. In nature, a whole spectrum of tones can be found. Therefore, in order for a drawing to look natural, it should reflect this range of tones. To simplify an exploration of tones, colour can be removed from the equation. Art teachers often ask students to use a black and white medium like charcoal or pencil on paper. This lets students focus on developing nuances in tone without being distracted by colour issues.
When artists draw or paint a scene by concentrating on tones, sometimes they slightly squint. This helps them to see the range of tones in the scene.
It is a common exercise in art school to explore tones. In nature, a whole spectrum of tones can be found. Therefore, in order for a drawing to look natural, it should reflect this range of tones. To simplify an exploration of tones, colour can be removed from the equation. Art teachers often ask students to use a black and white medium like charcoal or pencil on paper. This lets students focus on developing nuances in tone without being distracted by colour issues.
When artists draw or paint a scene by concentrating on tones, sometimes they slightly squint. This helps them to see the range of tones in the scene.