Dark‐and‐light has not been considered in school curricula, except in its
limited application to representation. The study of “light and shade” has
for its aim, not the creation of a beautiful idea in terms of contrasting
masses of light and dark, but merely the accurate rendering of certain
facts of nature,—hence is a scientific rather than an artistic exercise.
The pupil who begins in this way will be embarrassed in advanced work by
lack of experience in arranging and differentiating tones. Worse than
that, it tends to cut him off from the appreciation of one whole class of
great works of art. As in the case of Line, so again in this is manifest
the narrowness and weakness of the scheme of nature‐imitating as a
foundation for art education. The Realistic standard always tends to the
decay of art. The student in an academic school, feeling the necessity for
a knowledge of Dark‐and‐Light when he begins to make original
compositions, has usually but one resource, that of sketching the
“spotting” as he calls it, of good designs and pictures—an excellent
practice if followed intelligently. His difficulties may be overcome (1)
by seeing that Notan is an element distinct from Line or Color; (2) by
attempting its mastery in progressive stages leading to appreciation.