What is the effect of using chiaroscuro in a painting

Chiaroscuro is a technique used in multitudes of art forms. It is known for its combination of shadow tones, highlight tones, and a neutral tone, then shading them together. In a painting, chiaroscuro would create highlights and shadows, allow for shading, and give the piece an overall more realistic look.

It is used by artists and art historians for the use of contrasts of light to achieve a sense of volume in modelling three-dimensional objects and figures.