Understanding Light and Shadow

Light and Shadow 

How do we use it to make better paintings

There is a magic to light that can stop us in our tracks when it illuminates the landscape in such a way that can literally cause a stop and awe moment to happen. Understanding light and its effects on objects will help us to make better paintings. We all have learned about the light spectrum and separated color prisms that occur with rainbows. We can use this information to help us with our paintings to create mood, atmosphere and dynamic designs. 

Let's review, the sun is luminous and provides us with light. If there was no light we could not see. It's that simple. The rays from the sun travel in straight lines. Because, this happens shapes take on form. When light hits an opaque object it turns back on itself causing a reflection. This will occur in any weather condition. The earth's atmosphere can distort this reflection. On hazy days, light is soft and the sky will be gray. On sunny days you will find the edges of light to be harder and with limited particles in the air the sky can be an intense blue. Light cannot bend around corners, the direction of light can change however with water. Like a clear vase of flowers in water, the stems become distorted as they pass through the translucent properties of water. This is called a refraction. 

Light that bounces off an object creates the shadow. If the light is warm a shadow will be cool and vice a versa light that is cool will result with a warm shadow. 

Every person sees color differently. They respond to paintings that move them with atmosphere and color from past memories. Value is however, one can say the top three most important aspects of art. Line direction and heaviness produces composition, and division of spaces with no two intervals of spaces that are the same rounds out the top three things a good painting achieves. There are other concepts that are important, but remember it's not a formula but a guide to success. You don't have to be stringent with the rules. They can be broken or disregarded if need be. It's our job as painters to convince the viewer to explore our paintings.

Suggestions to start a painting 

When evaluating your subject, ask is the light warm or cool? Once a decision is made try keying your darks to this. What I mean is, if the shadows will be warm lay your first color notes with a warm color like a red-brown. Key your painting this way. Key is defined as how dark are your darkest colors and how light is your lightest. Some atmospheric conditions (gray days) the values between these two are close. On sunny days the values can be 5 step differences. Try other darks too, feel your way into the light. 

14x20 pastel "Ride to Summer Camp

 Often I think we as artist are moved by a scene. We forget to ask ourselves the most important of questions "What is it I want to say about this scene?" "How does this scene make me feel?" This scene is particularly moving to me. It brings back many memories that I have. We went camping for a week in the back country next to Yosemite. It was an adventure, lush scenery and always brought peace to me. I really miss those days. That was 25 years ago, but I am able to invoke in this painting that feeling of togetherness, serenity and warmth that I felt on that day. This is one of the main reason it is important to use your on reference material for your paintings. Some, may not be able to do this because of physical restraints, but art is anything that moves you. Even simple household objects can become art. Isn't our goal as artist to show others (who may not be able to see the beauty in everyday objects) where that beauty lies? There is such a rush in our everyday lives that most of us don't notice the beauty that is right in front of us. 

With this particular painting, the line concepts all point to the riders. Follow the background tree line, it merges with the riders or points to them if you will. The dark pine trees encircle them, the path then leads you in from the bottom of the painting. You are able to re-enter with any of the shadows in the foreground. The hardest edges are the riders and the dark tree trunks around them. Yellows and golds come forward in the painting, while the cooler and grayer colors recede and take you into the painting. There is division of space with the little tree in front of the tall pines and then the background trees. I wanted to express the magnificent majestic feeling it is to travel under trees that have lived for so long. 

This is the line concept I used to design the composition with. See the box off center & to the right? This is the representation of the riders. I felt I was going in a good direction with the composition after I quickly jotted this down. It doesn't have to be anything elaborate, just notes to yourself. Use this like a map. If you do this prep work consistently in your work you will have more paintings that are successful instead of just once in awhile. There will come a time with repetition that this becomes automatic and you might not need to actually record it. But, it will be in your mind. 

Always remember, shadows are usually 40% darker in value then the object in the light. They also, are shades darker from the original  color of the object. There can be color that bounces off the object onto another in a shadow. Example would be a red ball in light with a reflection on a blue wall will have a hint of the red on the wall too. Usually, in the landscape on sunny days the shadows will reflect some blue from the sky, and cool violets. Observe closely objects in nature and shadow. This will help you understand the concepts and re-produce them in your art.

Remember to feel your way through a painting. Invoke what moved you within your subject with value, line, color and intervals that are interesting. Watch you shapes, are they interesting? Do they all look the same? Do I have soft and hard edges, contrast next to the focal point? Be careful to identify tangents. Our brains just go there unfortunately and we have to make a conscious effort to review these important questions before we release a painting to the public.