Artists might choose to emphasize light and medium values in order to achieve a cheery impression, a dainty quality, or to impart a sense of uplifting radiance. The exclusive use of light and medium values might seem non-confrontational, comforting, or it might also be simply an accurate depiction of certain lighting conditions.

Featured: Celia Thaxter's Garden, Isles of Shoals, Maine by Childe Hassam.