gradation of value creates interest While value contrast is a great technique for attracting the viewer's attention, gradation of value is a great technique for retaining it. Gradation is the gradual change of tonal value from light to dark over distance. The transition is not sudden, but blended from one area to another. Gradation, by its very nature, complies with the One Rule of Composition: Never make any two intervals the same, because gradation entails constantly changing. A shape with a single value overall can be monoto- nous and boring. However, if the value changes within that shape, there is more for the eye to examine and explore, which makes it more interesting. If the adjacent shapes show a contrasting gradation, the eye and mind have more to scan, which makes that part of the compo- sition even more appealing.