Night Sketching in Alleys

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Night sketching in alleys opens up new worlds of light and color.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinRfxtdVxstTcmJxsRtQdebsANG8LJJWngILhf7Xuq1Qy96BAbxkCL038tEQdPvDnEBiCmJaiF0fEOOIOsEAi41Mt5-MFB1MPwlyrBsV22kBL1-y4WwIYK4rB9ClzFBoIRbj7VfgIKka_R/s1600/Alleycat+painting.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinRfxtdVxstTcmJxsRtQdebsANG8LJJWngILhf7Xuq1Qy96BAbxkCL038tEQdPvDnEBiCmJaiF0fEOOIOsEAi41Mt5-MFB1MPwlyrBsV22kBL1-y4WwIYK4rB9ClzFBoIRbj7VfgIKka_R/s1600/Alleycat+painting.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Streetlights come in a variety of color casts: the yellow of sodium vapor, the green of mercury vapor, the red of neon, and the blue-white of metal halide. Our eyes can see variations in these light colors that elude the camera.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS8iQApQu4ED5E1lmHPu8hCF33zfvbqTmh8ha1oFlxhnQpze5vBH08x1ifo0feD9pYNCS4SnwSJVhod9xqbU5a1qrvEDXaqOuBPvxbSHkT-9vtagon2jgjClD1D1JTmEQirAWVQ3Jp0Hz3/s1600/Salida+Alley.sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS8iQApQu4ED5E1lmHPu8hCF33zfvbqTmh8ha1oFlxhnQpze5vBH08x1ifo0feD9pYNCS4SnwSJVhod9xqbU5a1qrvEDXaqOuBPvxbSHkT-9vtagon2jgjClD1D1JTmEQirAWVQ3Jp0Hz3/s1600/Salida+Alley.sm.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>This casein sketch is about the size of a baseball card. In the semi-darkness, it's difficult to distinguish subtle color differences on the palette, so I take a basic palette of about seven colors.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoNRhQsPU0uJathQAzjSDI6lGE2l1bgfJMF_WUGhDWV2uttqL9K5zdLHs_51cEeok_mfn5wGlgqXcF2_7euV1hM5gZn5huDYYQS0wNE92eYjVua9HZ79wshlfG1cWGWY_SfusC4y3Ebqv8/s1600/Night+Sketching+Lights.sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoNRhQsPU0uJathQAzjSDI6lGE2l1bgfJMF_WUGhDWV2uttqL9K5zdLHs_51cEeok_mfn5wGlgqXcF2_7euV1hM5gZn5huDYYQS0wNE92eYjVua9HZ79wshlfG1cWGWY_SfusC4y3Ebqv8/s1600/Night+Sketching+Lights.sm.jpg" width="321" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>I take a variety of compact LED lamps with me in order to match the illumination on my sketchbook with the levels and colors in the scene. Clockwise from upper left is a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1933622717/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1933622717&linkCode=as2&tag=gurnjour-20&linkId=M6KGTXTBAJBZI2VZ">single head book light</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gurnjour-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1933622717" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />, a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007IHYBV2/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B007IHYBV2&linkCode=as2&tag=gurnjour-20&linkId=IP7NLVEWK7RQMSF7">Mighty Bright "Hammerhead" light</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gurnjour-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B007IHYBV2" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />, and a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0027GVIOW/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0027GVIOW&linkCode=as2&tag=gurnjour-20&linkId=OOU2NDRY6OOA37BN">Petzl Headlamp</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gurnjour-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0027GVIOW" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> (customized with a nylon diffuser and a 1/4" 20 nut held on with <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00EU7DBNM/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00EU7DBNM&linkCode=as2&tag=gurnjour-20&linkId=G5LHPDVUCQFNTAU5">Sugru</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gurnjour-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00EU7DBNM" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> as a tripod attachment point). I also sometimes use an <a href="http://www.theartistsroad.net/store/products/100">Artist's Road Night-Light Cap</a>.<br /><br />The lights are clipped to my newest sketchbook, titled "Hitting the Whiskers," following my custom of lifting <a href="http://gurneyjourney.blogspot.com/2014/09/john-seerey-lester-doing-demo.html">a line from the first page</a> of the sketchbook.<br /><div><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO1pqLStkbfYa-vyJxy-6IAEBCtjMFvHlzEkrEEQrZKYgLpJ80T2xOafHOP7EnproJKRWuKqlz-EVaHuK0pigCqD3sNVJjS8m7IJ8ogxqDfgIpu2FEpNUTeX1C5AD3XehduMo6r_EuVP9_/s1600/IMG_8759.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO1pqLStkbfYa-vyJxy-6IAEBCtjMFvHlzEkrEEQrZKYgLpJ80T2xOafHOP7EnproJKRWuKqlz-EVaHuK0pigCqD3sNVJjS8m7IJ8ogxqDfgIpu2FEpNUTeX1C5AD3XehduMo6r_EuVP9_/s1600/IMG_8759.JPG" width="400" /></a><br />A garbage collector's shirt or uniform is helpful, too, because you want night vehicles to see you. You can pick up these uniforms used at a uniform store. Or you can get a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004DJB8S2/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B004DJB8S2&linkCode=as2&tag=gurnjour-20&linkId=XMQTEYUHMFBONPSF">reflective safety vest</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gurnjour-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B004DJB8S2" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> online.<br />----<br />Previously: <a href="http://gurneyjourney.blogspot.com/2008/02/multi-colored-street-lights.html" style="text-align: center;">Multi-Colored Streetlights</a><br /><a href="http://gurneyjourney.blogspot.com/2012/04/vintage-streetlight-collection.html">Vintage Streetlight Collection</a><br /><a href="http://jamesgurney.com/site/213/color-and-light-a-guide-for-the-realist-painter">More light colors in my book Color and Light</a><br /><br />

Night Sketching in Alleys

Night sketching in alleys opens up new worlds of light and color. Streetlights come in a variety of color casts: the yellow of sodium vapor,...

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Equinox Effect

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGqKqv0tkigFGWrZW8hyphenhyphenKt0gX_GXZZ3_dPBf-07eb846dgK-YTT2epwbDp-hPpb8oEQK0BAkFn5KzTOupBdk2GXb3d4abm2h7LSb4YW_NUziS3-ioUSYwwW7KczbAX_EQBXU1p-HaQBf5r/s1600/Setting+Sun.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGqKqv0tkigFGWrZW8hyphenhyphenKt0gX_GXZZ3_dPBf-07eb846dgK-YTT2epwbDp-hPpb8oEQK0BAkFn5KzTOupBdk2GXb3d4abm2h7LSb4YW_NUziS3-ioUSYwwW7KczbAX_EQBXU1p-HaQBf5r/s1600/Setting+Sun.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Here's an unusual effect in Indiana where the sun is setting directly behind us due west on the autumnal equinox, and the light bounces back from all the signs lined up due east.

Equinox Effect

Here's an unusual effect in Indiana where the sun is setting directly behind us due west on the autumnal equinox, and the light bounces ...

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Complementary Shadows

Arbi asks: <i>"Could you please explain about 'complementary shadows?' </i><i>Some attribute complementary shadows to the Impressionist habit of painting the reflected color of blue sky in shadows, and others attribute it to simultaneous-contrast. Is it real? </i><i>Do you use it in your painting, and how do you implement it?"</i><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0WegAf2SVnQ77R3a9BBU9AjjYVMRDzfvu657esArMcmyDJY3ScFxWrwAAZ20M1fMdYsatfgGHViHxyRvB3eVZ0vA6Rbf6cA-0BlbnwjJdGAyo_jegdJEX4KUNmQgcefBN-X-fLXxY1SIj/s1600/Maxfield+Parrish+landscape.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0WegAf2SVnQ77R3a9BBU9AjjYVMRDzfvu657esArMcmyDJY3ScFxWrwAAZ20M1fMdYsatfgGHViHxyRvB3eVZ0vA6Rbf6cA-0BlbnwjJdGAyo_jegdJEX4KUNmQgcefBN-X-fLXxY1SIj/s1600/Maxfield+Parrish+landscape.jpg" width="328" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maxfield Parrish</td></tr></tbody></table><i><br /></i>Arbi, it's a little of both. In most sunny conditions, shadows really are in a complementary color range compared to the sunlit surfaces because they're lit by the relatively blue skylight.<br /><br />By contrast, the sunlit surfaces are lit by the sum of the sunlight and the skylight, with the sunlight dominating. It's easy to demonstrate this with a camera that is color balanced to sunlit white paper. When you take the same white paper and photograph it again in shadow, it's clearly bluer.<br /><br />The effect is heightened late in the day as the sun is lower in the sky. More of the short-wavelength is scattered out of the sunlight, leaving more orange or red light, and making the color contrast between light and shadow more obvious.<br /><br />(A brief caution on the above: the shadow side of any object receives not only skylight, but also reflected light from other sources, so if those sources of reflected light are very warm, and the sky is blocked by trees or clouds, the shadow might be very warm, too.)<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR1giEG7IhPt6Wqw2HVFD_H-xzjzurrks016zFxnEfutLP_B6n8nGHLbztcyqdITXhXNZZq4FWgArA-uN06ZyczGMZL7xA0oQ9tJqYOTn1NvTJbZeeDpVTfr8JAUlyOfyvp9zdCseHg4E/s1600/Reflected+Light+Det.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="81" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR1giEG7IhPt6Wqw2HVFD_H-xzjzurrks016zFxnEfutLP_B6n8nGHLbztcyqdITXhXNZZq4FWgArA-uN06ZyczGMZL7xA0oQ9tJqYOTn1NvTJbZeeDpVTfr8JAUlyOfyvp9zdCseHg4E/s400/Reflected+Light+Det.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These are all from the shadow side of a white building. From the post "A White Building in Shadow"</td></tr></tbody></table>At the same time, our visual system is set up in such a way that exposure to any color causes adjacent colors to appear complementary, so a yellow square next to a gray square will make the gray square look bluer.<br /><br />This is an effect I like to use a lot, not only to simulate the "Golden Hour" time of day, but also in small ways, to alternate relatively warm and cool colors throughout a picture.<br />-----<br />Previously on GJ:<br /><a href="http://gurneyjourney.blogspot.com/2008/01/golden-hour.html">Golden Hour</a><br /><a href="http://gurneyjourney.blogspot.com/2008/05/induced-color.html">Induced Color</a><br /><a href="http://gurneyjourney.blogspot.com/2007/12/color-warm-and-cool.html">Warm and Cool Colors</a><br /><a href="http://gurneyjourney.blogspot.com/2012/06/white-building-in-shadow.html">A White Building in Shadow</a><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0740797719/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0740797719&linkCode=as2&tag=gurnjour-20&linkId=TPKGDSEBPZOCKYED">Color and Light: A Guide for the Realist Painter</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gurnjour-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0740797719" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> on Amazon<br /><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /></div>

Complementary Shadows

Arbi asks: "Could you please explain about 'complementary shadows?'  Some attribute complementary shadows to the Impressionist ...

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Color Corona from a Bright Sky

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>I'd like to wrap up our extended Watercolor Workshop Week by talking a little more about a light effect that I mentioned on the video "Watercolor in the Wild."<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMdxA_89Ja1avyby19SPF3ChItyOhnwMRxGu4UWsMqVvu3lSwxOjSBs0NJf32cmzWGovBqWiY3ukSpAsjSpVSthFs4uf72jNKI1qpeL9WsTwKU82W0qH29MLjzZTepQgyoM4SOcS2Gq-bu/s1600/Wilderstein+Carriage+Barn.sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMdxA_89Ja1avyby19SPF3ChItyOhnwMRxGu4UWsMqVvu3lSwxOjSBs0NJf32cmzWGovBqWiY3ukSpAsjSpVSthFs4uf72jNKI1qpeL9WsTwKU82W0qH29MLjzZTepQgyoM4SOcS2Gq-bu/s1600/Wilderstein+Carriage+Barn.sm.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">While I was painting this carriage house on location, I tried to convey the feeling that the sky was both very blue and very bright. I wanted to simulate an effect that I have noticed in photography, where a bright sky bleaches out the camera's receptors and then spills over into small forms, making them take on the blue of the sky. (Edit: one aspect of this effect is an axial chromatic aberration called "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purple_fringing">purple fringing</a>.")</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I painted a very light cool wash in the sky, and then laid in the turrets, tree trunks, and branches with a mid-range blue. I also used a blue-gray watercolor pencil for the branches. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The scene didn't actually look this way to my eye—the sky actually looked like a light to mid-range high-chroma blue, and the branches looked extremely dark. I had to consciously override what I was perceiving and paint an effect that I was imagining. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxKU_hTD3A_w8PF0x8qd7f6ymN77XqNvZbmJ98YcGEuGJMHUN3I6kzFuwWTEno3r9iCUE1UCQxzeW4gjIF6jzIkul5gcCsUmyJQpacVkNkFH7_uqF_PF8-FCm-Q5aBapIeH1ocQxrpIhgT/s1600/Carriage+House+Photoblowups.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxKU_hTD3A_w8PF0x8qd7f6ymN77XqNvZbmJ98YcGEuGJMHUN3I6kzFuwWTEno3r9iCUE1UCQxzeW4gjIF6jzIkul5gcCsUmyJQpacVkNkFH7_uqF_PF8-FCm-Q5aBapIeH1ocQxrpIhgT/s1600/Carriage+House+Photoblowups.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>While I was painting the picture, I took a photo to see if the camera actually did see it that way, and sure enough, the small forms turned quite blue.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9P1W0ldefbY6J0onQAchM2llCg1n8jdAc4-wcGQIkF43jb1BKs9-QwiAWnm9ANCWuFPm2Dnx0sRnVYpCs6XXf_1mUMvAE5zMaSkTzf2geNAw3Jk7Z9ffXZFHDfiLk25HlqlP46cKvQDro/s1600/Churchyard.sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9P1W0ldefbY6J0onQAchM2llCg1n8jdAc4-wcGQIkF43jb1BKs9-QwiAWnm9ANCWuFPm2Dnx0sRnVYpCs6XXf_1mUMvAE5zMaSkTzf2geNAw3Jk7Z9ffXZFHDfiLk25HlqlP46cKvQDro/s1600/Churchyard.sm.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>I used the same basic idea of colorizing small forms against a bright sky when I painted "Churchyard," the final demo on the video. This time, though, I wanted the sky to look warm, so I laid down a very light yellow-ochre wash and then drybrushed the branches using a dull orange watercolor.<br />----<br /><div style="margin: 0px;">In case you missed the full-length video, here are the links.<br /><a href="https://gumroad.com/l/watercolor">"Watercolor in the Wild" HD download: (Credit Card) </a><br /><a href="https://sellfy.com/p/Pvxb/">"Watercolor in the Wild" HD download: (Paypal)</a><script src="https://sellfy.com/js/api_buttons.js" type="text/javascript"></script><br /><a href="http://kunaki.com/MSales.asp?PublisherId=136361">"Watercolor in the Wild" DVD: (NTSC, Region 1) </a><br /><br />And here are the links to the additional 28-minute video, available only as a download.<br /><div style="margin: 0px;"><a href="https://gumroad.com/l/watercolorbonus">"Watercolor: BONUS FEATURES" <b>(</b>Gumroad via Credit Card)</a><br /><a href="https://sellfy.com/p/WY1j/">"Watercolor: BONUS FEATURES" (Sellfy via Paypal)</a><script src="https://sellfy.com/js/api_buttons.js" type="text/javascript"></script><br /><div><br /></div></div></div>

Color Corona from a Bright Sky

I'd like to wrap up our extended Watercolor Workshop Week by talking a little more about a light effect that I mentioned on the video ...

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Color temperature in the shadow out-of-doors

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDIBJ21DRIpRY-fa9HJ_A3h1VjTDXLq3m1FmKvEbxlh0GEgp54ygzkdMTA5THw_oAYJUAt0V3JdBKO8FILoA7FHFMPoZKKx400LT0mEQlyVeDmYTyMp4hQJi3U6u80ub-1V8dz3OhQYcii/s1600/Sorolla+Bath.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDIBJ21DRIpRY-fa9HJ_A3h1VjTDXLq3m1FmKvEbxlh0GEgp54ygzkdMTA5THw_oAYJUAt0V3JdBKO8FILoA7FHFMPoZKKx400LT0mEQlyVeDmYTyMp4hQJi3U6u80ub-1V8dz3OhQYcii/s1600/Sorolla+Bath.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="text-align: start;">The Bath, (Ba</span>ñ</span><span style="font-size: x-small; text-align: start;">o or Jávea), 1905 by </span><span style="font-size: x-small; text-align: start;"> Joaquín Sorolla y Bastida (Spanish, 1863–1923)</span></td></tr></tbody></table>This ebullient painting by Joaquín Sorolla is an example of the common principle: <i>In the shadow, up-facing planes are cool and down-facing planes are warm.</i><br /><div><br /></div><div>The shift from warm to cool occurs both in the figure in the foreground and in the rocks in the background. The reason for the shift in color temperature is that the up-facing planes pick up more of the sky color and the down-facing planes receive more of the ground color. The actual color mixture is a combination of the surface color of the skin and the color of the light striking it.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjta1VZWlpAXoI8pGn1Ey5FS7kG1rNBSP11hAG7MGHV5EvU4D7YbjBdks27EocRf-XlP6MNMoEVgemTZyAk67dXTxas5mLb7ZHWFq_xNNUTBDkAqLz7I0Co3bW1XE-ictUeECTkOHGTbH3b/s1600/Sorolla+detail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjta1VZWlpAXoI8pGn1Ey5FS7kG1rNBSP11hAG7MGHV5EvU4D7YbjBdks27EocRf-XlP6MNMoEVgemTZyAk67dXTxas5mLb7ZHWFq_xNNUTBDkAqLz7I0Co3bW1XE-ictUeECTkOHGTbH3b/s1600/Sorolla+detail.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />One last thing to note is that the warm/cool shifts in the shadow planes can occur at nearly equal value, and it's often very effective to paint them that way.<br />------<br />Oil on canvas; 35 1/2 x 50 1/2 in. (90.2 x 128.3 cm)<br /><div>The painting is in the Metropolitan Museum collection, though not on view now.<br /><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3e/Joaquin_Sorolla_y_Bastida_-_El_ba%C3%B1o,_J%C3%A1vea.jpg">High res file available from Wikimedia Commons</a><br />Sorolla book: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0847839338/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0847839338&linkCode=as2&tag=gurnjour-20&linkId=YVH63MDLHF2PTQVR">Sorolla: The Masterworks</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gurnjour-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0847839338" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />My book on Amazon: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0740797719/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0740797719&linkCode=as2&tag=gurnjour-20&linkId=A44WGXT26O677ERV">Color and Light: A Guide for the Realist Painter</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gurnjour-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0740797719" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br /><a href="http://jamesgurney.com/site/213/color-and-light-a-guide-for-the-realist-painter">My book on color, signed for you</a></div></div>

Color temperature in the shadow out-of-doors

The Bath, (Ba ñ o or Jávea), 1905 by  Joaquín Sorolla y Bastida (Spanish, 1863–1923) This ebullient painting by Joaquín Sorolla is an examp...

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Moon reflections on the calm sea

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwsPNEvk935f9yyyYrv6hXqjmUO_AOFiiea_1O0MoNdRJWuiIZQzb6F8u7_y3MxXK7Di3ebAl4xzS_qTjU2n0tvsVNUD_ZF2nBsjk6wlBB57JJaNuQUHuLCy2UPwi1MbZWoYE3BRseb5cn/s1600/Kroyer-Highlight.Adkins.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwsPNEvk935f9yyyYrv6hXqjmUO_AOFiiea_1O0MoNdRJWuiIZQzb6F8u7_y3MxXK7Di3ebAl4xzS_qTjU2n0tvsVNUD_ZF2nBsjk6wlBB57JJaNuQUHuLCy2UPwi1MbZWoYE3BRseb5cn/s1600/Kroyer-Highlight.Adkins.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption">Peder Krøyer, <i>Summer evening on Skagen's beach, </i>1899</td></tr></tbody></table>In this painting by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peder_Severin_Kr%C3%B8yer">Peder Krøyer,</a> moonlight is reflected on the calm sea. The highlights extend vertically downward. They skip some areas altogether, but become a bright streak where the water is calm, horizontal strokes where the water is roughened by wind. They form an S-shaped squiggle on one wavetop.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6loAuWloimO4mMTsw4O68AIkdADUI5ZU6w6X-poBACUGb1nbn5DtrGysTo90LDYzIp4Tywpv3izC15N993pPiWvuG3Fw_tRSry009ltjRyvFxIz-63xzMA9HQC0A3KNd1wIAC-jeOb411/s1600/Kroyer_Highlight.detail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6loAuWloimO4mMTsw4O68AIkdADUI5ZU6w6X-poBACUGb1nbn5DtrGysTo90LDYzIp4Tywpv3izC15N993pPiWvuG3Fw_tRSry009ltjRyvFxIz-63xzMA9HQC0A3KNd1wIAC-jeOb411/s1600/Kroyer_Highlight.detail.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>The highlight turns to the side when it climbs the inclined surface of the wet sandy beach. The same thing would happen if you held a mirror at that angle.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhglrjcj9YoogAGPlLfQ6WJaG3nAMHPBakAos6BAhW9UDCCODkwqk_Oyce8zjPA8Ka5pKPE0wlmQcdjzVKgm9Sx_2pwZfG3AVP027MREzGtRtsLs6znpIXOerEQ1DopyS2IK4OyrpW5-Rb4/s1600/Reflections.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhglrjcj9YoogAGPlLfQ6WJaG3nAMHPBakAos6BAhW9UDCCODkwqk_Oyce8zjPA8Ka5pKPE0wlmQcdjzVKgm9Sx_2pwZfG3AVP027MREzGtRtsLs6znpIXOerEQ1DopyS2IK4OyrpW5-Rb4/s1600/Reflections.jpg" width="362" /></a><br />In Sir Montagu Pollock's 1903 classic book <i>Light and Water: A Study of Reflexion and Colour in River, Lake, and Sea, </i>he explains how the varied wavelets act like mirrors pointing slightly toward or away from the viewer, thus stretching the moon's reflection downward.<br /><br />He lays out the following general rule: "<i>In the rippled water the combined effect of all the images of the luminous point P, formed by the reflexions in countless wavelets, is a vertical line of light."</i><br /><i><br /></i><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib-hoV4AZxNDoNbh2lmXeh4-jKEtzygM3OSC34s1AEPt66ScAPgjtyV40QOrRIfYobWO07w_cARjouXps-ZKkHq9vaNLT72ZwrmIzJ4G7z8FIkKbttyHmPrACauGe73oHYN5g7VAaue9tr/s1600/Pollock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib-hoV4AZxNDoNbh2lmXeh4-jKEtzygM3OSC34s1AEPt66ScAPgjtyV40QOrRIfYobWO07w_cARjouXps-ZKkHq9vaNLT72ZwrmIzJ4G7z8FIkKbttyHmPrACauGe73oHYN5g7VAaue9tr/s1600/Pollock.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Pollock makes another observation about the sun or moon's reflection on calm water:<br /><i>"The width of this streak of light also depends largely upon the height of the sun or moon above the horizon. As the sun mounts in the sky it gets wider and vaguer."</i><br /><i>----</i><br />Thanks, Tim Atkins for the Kroyer photo!<br /><a href="https://archive.org/details/lightwaterstudyo00montuoft">Download Pollock's book for free on Archive.org</a><br />More about water, light, and reflections in my book: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0740797719/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0740797719&linkCode=as2&tag=gurnjour-20">Color and Light: A Guide for the Realist Painter</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gurnjour-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0740797719" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br /><div><br /></div>

Moon reflections on the calm sea

Peder Krøyer,  Summer evening on Skagen's beach, 1899 In this painting by Peder Krøyer,  moonlight is reflected on the calm sea. The hig...

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Spotlighting

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIqjW3U6_Y8ojp-sNGP0hRDZF4QO6kYecAQXqrp0MYq6sAJ4bikojx9Pm1sAdOf76wGw15dtdw0Y3l9fZ1vA_1HZqDVxnk5XWEDsHfVY3STMdRAPuZNonrnJS65g6IRVGePw7Cd77fBnOn/s1600/Carl_Spitzweg_Bookworm.sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIqjW3U6_Y8ojp-sNGP0hRDZF4QO6kYecAQXqrp0MYq6sAJ4bikojx9Pm1sAdOf76wGw15dtdw0Y3l9fZ1vA_1HZqDVxnk5XWEDsHfVY3STMdRAPuZNonrnJS65g6IRVGePw7Cd77fBnOn/s1600/Carl_Spitzweg_Bookworm.sm.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Carl Spitzweg, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bookworm">"The Bookworm," 1850</a></td></tr></tbody></table>In theatrical illumination, the light is almost never completely uniform. Less important areas of the stage fall into shadow, while the spotlight rivets the attention of the audience on the most important part of the action.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhueniXa9sHc3XiwA4wQLesWeruJgv8F1sQTVP9fXKjBfi0aAJzGBT8RDDeNw3TQRmAMoDxyYXW8-WlkoXkEW2ZIA590OLm3PKPDlN3ws_QvkKY4zPsfH1o73wKrFYEQCNUR0W2lxeUNAXY/s1600/achenbach.atheneum.sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhueniXa9sHc3XiwA4wQLesWeruJgv8F1sQTVP9fXKjBfi0aAJzGBT8RDDeNw3TQRmAMoDxyYXW8-WlkoXkEW2ZIA590OLm3PKPDlN3ws_QvkKY4zPsfH1o73wKrFYEQCNUR0W2lxeUNAXY/s1600/achenbach.atheneum.sm.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Achenbach</td></tr></tbody></table>Landscape painters use the natural spotlighting of a cloudy day to dramatize selected areas. This device was common in the <a href="http://gurneyjourney.blogspot.com/2009/06/dusseldorf-school.html">Düsseldorf School,</a> and among 17th century Dutch painters like <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacob_Isaacksz_van_Ruisdael">Ruisdael</a>.<br /><br />Capturing these effects while painting <i>en plein air</i> requires tremendous concentration and commitment. Once you see an effect that you want to capture, you have to paint it from memory and ignore other effects that strike your eye later.<div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8O1I4uzvuossteyV0o3nNVc3F8qtJxnePKT2H9lQnSY7d2Ys8g3IbXf69nvDppX-nKwkJ82LXt_iKY0lqI18LL1yBBUAcxEs9H-EXo-MdRkOuFeHvZBI_uXpOvZVsitdxFoJjOorQ1cZU/s1600/Staccato.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8O1I4uzvuossteyV0o3nNVc3F8qtJxnePKT2H9lQnSY7d2Ys8g3IbXf69nvDppX-nKwkJ82LXt_iKY0lqI18LL1yBBUAcxEs9H-EXo-MdRkOuFeHvZBI_uXpOvZVsitdxFoJjOorQ1cZU/s1600/Staccato.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />Using a special eye light to spotlight the center of the face was common in film noir lighting.<br /><div><br /><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTUd9o57DdS9V4zWh4DCi0ZHpu3wqDbl_AaoY0YYLLwhvDtUcinxPed0ocSFe1SU9PSx5e2FVdpwqh4J9HLqfLbACyFs6ZQ52NSHt8R4dmJX2PzyN3HwOHN6wP2I38D5ER_4TT8VIuUnFs/s1600/Gerome_Jean_Leon_The_Death_of_Caesar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTUd9o57DdS9V4zWh4DCi0ZHpu3wqDbl_AaoY0YYLLwhvDtUcinxPed0ocSFe1SU9PSx5e2FVdpwqh4J9HLqfLbACyFs6ZQ52NSHt8R4dmJX2PzyN3HwOHN6wP2I38D5ER_4TT8VIuUnFs/s1600/Gerome_Jean_Leon_The_Death_of_Caesar.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div>Spotlighting can have powerful storytelling implications. In Gerome's "Death of Caesar," the body of the slain Caesar has already fallen into shadow, as if the light of history has moved on to his murderers and successors. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>Gradating the edge of the spotlight effect makes it less obvious to the viewer, but it takes a careful organization of the palette if you want to paint it with opaques, because all of the colors of the scene must go through gradual transitions.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAfhC1fcg41opu0ybu8ZN7_vp5eJ5uUHT0kZLUfSPfQpzulWJaRjltCj2EWlEq_iSv0n_DEKGtF4OvOVIQv2YYcmOMYzhne8GaTHooA9olVxzA9CVCBEXlyrg5bX5KCdrxzgnVGqusqgJm/s1600/Mucha.Nero+Watching+the+Fire+of+Rome+1887.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAfhC1fcg41opu0ybu8ZN7_vp5eJ5uUHT0kZLUfSPfQpzulWJaRjltCj2EWlEq_iSv0n_DEKGtF4OvOVIQv2YYcmOMYzhne8GaTHooA9olVxzA9CVCBEXlyrg5bX5KCdrxzgnVGqusqgJm/s1600/Mucha.Nero+Watching+the+Fire+of+Rome+1887.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alphonse Mucha, "Nero Watching the Fire of Rome," 1887<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>If you can group the values of all the figures in the light and make them a mass of light, in contrast to a mass of figures in shadow, the overall composition will be much simpler and more powerful. </div><div><br /></div><div>This also takes a lot of concentration: always to keep in mind the large statement, while you're fiddling with the details.</div><div> -----</div><div>More about spotlighting in my book, <i>Color and Light, </i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0740797719/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0740797719&linkCode=as2&tag=gurnjour-20">available from Amazon</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gurnjour-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0740797719" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> (where it is still the #1 book on painting), and <a href="http://jamesgurney.com/site/213/color-and-light-a-guide-for-the-realist-painter">signed from my website (U.S. orders only)</a>.</div><div><div><br /></div></div></div></div>

Spotlighting

Carl Spitzweg, "The Bookworm," 1850 In theatrical illumination, the light is almost never completely uniform. Less important areas...

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Working in the Semi-Outdoors

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Here's a painting in oil by <strike>Carl Larsson </strike> correction: William Blair-Bruce <a href="http://www.nationalmuseum.se/sv/English-startpage/About-us/Press-and-Media/Press-images/De-fyra-arstiderna/William-Blair-Bruce-Friluftsatelje/">from the National Museum in Stockholm Sweden.</a><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglRr_iOM75pn-yjHpC3_sbK-C-QRYCZQMOKEwSa4UYKZ6dPlBML8yX08Rz2IUbVLm4TZ4wyE6gDgJ25V5agHe6Yy2xywwxAfTQM_-CpyHYuxE9SdNSS2Xk5z1esuz_mFzGT0yS3qKaQBAZ/s1600/Larsson+oil+window.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglRr_iOM75pn-yjHpC3_sbK-C-QRYCZQMOKEwSa4UYKZ6dPlBML8yX08Rz2IUbVLm4TZ4wyE6gDgJ25V5agHe6Yy2xywwxAfTQM_-CpyHYuxE9SdNSS2Xk5z1esuz_mFzGT0yS3qKaQBAZ/s1600/Larsson+oil+window.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"The Open Air Studio" by William Blair-Bruce, Nationalmuseum, Stockholm Sweden.</td></tr></tbody></table><br />The woman is working under the diffused light of a large wooden frame covered with paper or fabric. The frame seems to be supported by thin ropes up to the edge of the awning.<br /><br />This diffusing frame makes an ideal light source for close work because the light is bright and indirect. It evens out the light if the sun is going in and out of the clouds. For close work and accurate color discrimination, diffused south light can be preferable to studio north light because it's brighter and its spectrum is closer to the standard of pure white sunlight. The only problem with diffused south light is that cloudy conditions make it so variable.<br /><br />The other benefit of the semi-outdoor studio, of course, is that it gets you out in the fresh air, especially good if you're dealing with toxic fumes. My friend <a href="http://www.williamstout.com/">William Stout</a> has worked for many years on the front porch of his California home.<br /><br />You can make your own frame out of 1x2 inch lumber or PVC pipe. I have found the best diffusing material is <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0046VDLSW/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0046VDLSW&linkCode=as2&tag=gurnjour-20">white rip stop nylon</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gurnjour-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0046VDLSW" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />. The fabric can be thumbtacked to the wood, or sewn with a hem that goes around the frame.<br /><br />I have several specialized homemade diffusers for plein air work and video lighting that I'll share in future posts.<br /><br />Previously:<br /><a href="http://gurneyjourney.blogspot.com/2009/05/easel-on-rails.html">Dagnan Bouveret's Greenhouse Studio</a><br /><a href="http://gurneyjourney.blogspot.com/2007/10/white-umbrellas.html">White Umbrellas</a>

Working in the Semi-Outdoors

Here's a painting in oil by Carl Larsson  correction: William Blair-Bruce from the National Museum in Stockholm Sweden. "The Open A...

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Hard and Soft Light

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyGO8ST8thDddxj7SpcvrcYrJnsqdqy7cprJMqMh5W5hhSs4qVORhXIxbkEsvyuyRf9NusyD3rJaexlVVfDD3lnyvc-XoaUajzIQ61Lnjqxo0IP5CrNyceyhdD0W32WUPRcjUd91qxDeBq/s1600/Diffuser.2.sm.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyGO8ST8thDddxj7SpcvrcYrJnsqdqy7cprJMqMh5W5hhSs4qVORhXIxbkEsvyuyRf9NusyD3rJaexlVVfDD3lnyvc-XoaUajzIQ61Lnjqxo0IP5CrNyceyhdD0W32WUPRcjUd91qxDeBq/s400/Diffuser.2.sm.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><b>What is meant by hard and soft light?</b><br /><br />Hardness or softness refers to how large the primary light source appears to be from the point of view of the subject. A hard light comes from a small, sharp source. Even though the sun itself is a very large object, it’s a relatively hard source of light because the disc of the sun appears small in the sky. A streetlight or a theater spotlight is also a hard source. Think of a hard light source as one that you could completely cover up with your thumb held at arm’s length. A medium-hard light is one that you could cover up with the width of your palm.<br /><br />Soft light, on the other hand, shines out from a wide area, as seen from the subject’s point of view. This could be a fluorescent light, a north-facing window, or an overcast sky. A soft source is any light that appears larger than a piece of office paper held at arm’s length.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE70lKDC98nLl5XIRJrLMia8hWYAtBa83IdGXhCBKq7kOw8YAYMI9aOwBqo-JAnqc1YzE_E3d2_i0eeJQeuNOUsQf4rY-1a8chPPk8V6pzb_EyD07xUMawyUvdMGr4dh5jezMjhb1JAbJf/s1600/Hard+and+Soft+Light.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="325" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE70lKDC98nLl5XIRJrLMia8hWYAtBa83IdGXhCBKq7kOw8YAYMI9aOwBqo-JAnqc1YzE_E3d2_i0eeJQeuNOUsQf4rY-1a8chPPk8V6pzb_EyD07xUMawyUvdMGr4dh5jezMjhb1JAbJf/s400/Hard+and+Soft+Light.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small; text-align: start;">A plaster écorché in hard light (left) and soft light (right) </span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="p1"><span class="s1"></span></div><b>Effects of hard and soft light</b><br />Any given light source becomes harder as it moves farther back from the subject and gets progressively smaller from the subject’s perspective. <br /><br />These two photos of an écorché head demonstrate the effects of hard and soft light outdoors at midday. At left, direct sunlight coming from above and to the right illuminates the head. Note the clear division between light and shadow, the crisp edge of the cast shadow projected by the nose onto the chest, and the pocket of shadow in the eye socket.<br /><br />At right, the same head is lit by a soft light positioned directly above. With the direct sunlight diffused, there’s no clear division of light and shadow, and no definite edge to the cast shadows. Instead, the darkest tones appear in the hollows and the down-facing planes.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg-gQn-YnospRpzLwsRahHw7G5eX307S4hVDDHsMs9e0DG03_aAk9fU_zPULWyFiBvCgyLNxpAZtLVVo0UxSjSvWQdXvnIKT7JwZRp99gb0hBqeyUC8FWgj3upc7eyZ2dyGhqPC4xH3ZWX/s1600/Waiting+at+Window.sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg-gQn-YnospRpzLwsRahHw7G5eX307S4hVDDHsMs9e0DG03_aAk9fU_zPULWyFiBvCgyLNxpAZtLVVo0UxSjSvWQdXvnIKT7JwZRp99gb0hBqeyUC8FWgj3upc7eyZ2dyGhqPC4xH3ZWX/s400/Waiting+at+Window.sm.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.727272033691406px;">Soft light: "Waiting at the Window" from <i>Dinotopia: Journey to Chandara </i>by James Gurney</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="p1"><b></b></div>In soft light, planes tend to get lighter as they face upward since they receive more and more of the diffused light from above. In the case of this photo, the light is diffused by a large white piece of fabric, but it would be the same effect if the sky were covered with a thin layer of clouds.<br /><div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYnjiCMCAO5K2IQLmGP1ur2LTVaL5TjewQMBuJZNeR1QYF8Khs_dyxLPr34xnJxRLp2ec2EW4gAC8wxEC3LIgjr9qg2xlsvSr-HI0oBvuiouWVODIipzx7yzKCeaXaaBexvbo5e0VzOdDi/s1600/figure+study.sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYnjiCMCAO5K2IQLmGP1ur2LTVaL5TjewQMBuJZNeR1QYF8Khs_dyxLPr34xnJxRLp2ec2EW4gAC8wxEC3LIgjr9qg2xlsvSr-HI0oBvuiouWVODIipzx7yzKCeaXaaBexvbo5e0VzOdDi/s400/figure+study.sm.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hard light: 15 minute figure study in oil by James Gurney</td></tr></tbody></table>Hard light is more directional and dramatic, but it can also be harsh and unflattering. Highlights are more pronounced. It casts crisper shadows and it brings out more surface texture, especially in the region of the half light, where light turns to shadow.<br /><br />Soft light is generally more suited to portraiture because it shows fewer wrinkles. Because there are no sharp-edged cast shadows, the overall effect is simpler. Tonal transitions from light to shade are more gradual in soft light compared to hard light. </div><div>-------</div><div>For the complete article, with additional illustrations and more info, including how to set up your lights to get hard and soft light, pick up a copy of the current issue of <a href="http://www.internationalartist.com/"><i>International Artist </i>magazine</a>, voted the <a href="http://gurneyjourney.blogspot.com/2012/12/your-favorite-art-magazines.html">#1 art magazine by GurneyJourney readers.</a> The issue also has an article by Mitchell Albala on notan and a call for entries for a contest about seascapes, rivers, and lakes.</div><div><br /></div><div>For more on light, you can get my book <i><a href="http://jamesgurney.com/site/213/color-and-light-a-guide-for-the-realist-painter">Color and Light: A Guide for the Realist Painter </a></i>signed from me or <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0740797719/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0740797719&linkCode=as2&tag=gurnjour-20">from Amazon</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gurnjour-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0740797719" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />.</div><div><br /></div>

Hard and Soft Light

What is meant by hard and soft light? Hardness or softness refers to how large the primary light source appears to be from the point of view...

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Texture in a sunlit round tower

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This drawing of a round stone tower illustrates a basic principle of light on form: in direct sunlight the appearance of greatest texture occurs at the area of the form called the darker halftone, just before the line of the terminator divides light from shadow. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq5serCrG-xd3nv_7EwQcwve22Nqx6o_TihRLUyR2uW9dFbgkFXkMYdJGiHOShk4wgKqMzTdpdcTTSgUok68BrsUlU4PTLBfOZEcfNboEsGHfDISS9jfYB8tLk8dOByiD72oC52HJF5kY9/s1600/Tower+Room.sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="399" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq5serCrG-xd3nv_7EwQcwve22Nqx6o_TihRLUyR2uW9dFbgkFXkMYdJGiHOShk4wgKqMzTdpdcTTSgUok68BrsUlU4PTLBfOZEcfNboEsGHfDISS9jfYB8tLk8dOByiD72oC52HJF5kY9/s400/Tower+Room.sm.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">In this case, the region is three quarters of the way to the right of the tower since it's lit from above and to the left. The rough texture of the stone is not very apparent within the big open shadow areas and in the areas on the left of the tower where it is directly front-lit. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">The drawing is in graphite pencil and gray wash, about 6x7 inches. As with any sketchbook drawing, I had to be selective about where to put my time and effort. So with the limited time I had, I loaded the shadow edge with fine detail and summarized the other areas with flat tones.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj51fL47fsxNcB2IKnG-0mg6_2oYLsNQJ-p8lGBA-9QMejVHF1AHmbnspPOdpN3XsJwf05pUUXz9BFv6Emdtu3MrbQGJqzLsPfG75-3AhV0oarWDqVPT5W8CC9fOViouJHrVP9PlsX8kfe8/s1600/Castle-Tower.sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="375" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj51fL47fsxNcB2IKnG-0mg6_2oYLsNQJ-p8lGBA-9QMejVHF1AHmbnspPOdpN3XsJwf05pUUXz9BFv6Emdtu3MrbQGJqzLsPfG75-3AhV0oarWDqVPT5W8CC9fOViouJHrVP9PlsX8kfe8/s400/Castle-Tower.sm.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div>(photo of Castle Bellver by<a href="http://www.ada-auth.org/arg-photos/23/tower.html"> Randy B</a>.)<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">A common mistake <span style="text-align: center;">in rendering a textural form in sunlight is to make the texture equally prominent throughout the form. In digital images, the appearance of overall equal texture can result from mapping a bumpy two-dimensional pattern equally over a 3D form. The texture in the shadow should not just be a darker version of the texture in the light because that’s not how the eye sees it. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">The reason the texture is difficult to see in the shadow region is because it is lit from a variety of directional sources, including the blue sky above and reflected sources from below. These multiple sources effectively cancel the appearance of texture.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">-----</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">This topic is covered in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0740797719/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0740797719&linkCode=as2&tag=gurnjour-20">Color and Light: A Guide for the Realist Painter (Amazon)</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=gurnjour-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0740797719" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> or (<a href="http://jamesgurney.com/site/213/color-and-light-a-guide-for-the-realist-painter">signed from my web store</a>)</div>

Texture in a sunlit round tower

This drawing of a round stone tower illustrates a basic principle of light on form: in direct sunlight the appearance of greatest texture oc...

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Highlights and Specularity, Part 1

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This photograph shows three spheres with varying surfaces. The one on the left is matte, the one in the middle is glossy, and the one on the right is highly reflective. </div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUeUj2TNzd2fn3qJS781iw6oTtSbXAxr1Q5rohLm6aJZvFlm63MuMmFpEQwseLlojXnF68dM5VpAGMe_LOY4ybr7B28XkO2dlJhQ1GlhUd6Z755W9T395-4F6Eilj6xAOP2sVcjddJ5mvc/s1600/Specularity+Matte+Gloss+Mirror+Highlights.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUeUj2TNzd2fn3qJS781iw6oTtSbXAxr1Q5rohLm6aJZvFlm63MuMmFpEQwseLlojXnF68dM5VpAGMe_LOY4ybr7B28XkO2dlJhQ1GlhUd6Z755W9T395-4F6Eilj6xAOP2sVcjddJ5mvc/s400/Specularity+Matte+Gloss+Mirror+Highlights.jpg" width="400" /></a><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>On the matte sphere there is no highlight. On the glossy sphere in the middle, the highlight is clearly apparent. The mirror-like sphere on the right also has a highlight, which is really a reflection of the light source. The light source is the sun shining through a window.<br /><br />The right sphere also reflects the scene around the ball, including the white paper background and the dark room behind the camera. In the right ball, you can even see a reflection of the middle ball, with a highlight in the middle of that reflection.<br /><br />That same pattern of reflections of the paper, room, and neighboring ball is subtly visible in the middle ball as well.<br /><br />In the middle ball, there is a second, smaller highlight just to the right of the primary highlight. This secondary highlight is the sunlight is reflected <i>three times. </i>The light bounces off the middle ball, bounces back off the right ball, and bounces <i>again</i> off that little highlight on middle ball back to your eye.<br /><br />So we've arrived at a definition: A highlight is a specular reflection (Latin "speculum"=mirror) of the light source on a shiny surface. The shinier and smoother the surface, the brighter and clearer the highlight.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicFWAps0E2LhNT1fWeHXgE_lFYFALV8BnrGazAwpQJ5lusA_lEjjc1P7qbfTCGqBDzvecAdSOq6_9bIKij0SmRleoremXZewvtcPiGHZTLj8tEyMNZIRZ6t2SxgGb5N228aoRp14ko2_uR/s1600/Specularity.sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="125" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicFWAps0E2LhNT1fWeHXgE_lFYFALV8BnrGazAwpQJ5lusA_lEjjc1P7qbfTCGqBDzvecAdSOq6_9bIKij0SmRleoremXZewvtcPiGHZTLj8tEyMNZIRZ6t2SxgGb5N228aoRp14ko2_uR/s400/Specularity.sm.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />These three diagrams show what's happening at the surface level. On the matte surface, light arrives from the top left and hits the rough surface. Some light gets absorbed and the rest scatters away in all directions. This is what happens when light hits a matte surface like a sand dune or a sweater.<br /><br />The glossy surface of the middle ball bounces a a portion of the light at the same relative angle as the incoming light, but some of the light rays hit uneven spots and bounce in random directions. This is like bouncing a golf ball on a country road. It will probably bounce the way you want it to unless the golf ball hits a crack or a pebble.<br /><br />The mirror-like surface is so smooth that all the light bounces off the surface predictably at the same relative angle, like bouncing a ball off a basketball court. (Edit: a true mirror-like reflection requires a metallic surface, and cannot be achieved by smoothness alone. Thanks, David!)<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnnZRj5r_EQHX83djDoCwEoMPCGR79Fx8N7sZcAnXDVYY-nqujv9Q9U4m9Fq_EkSRlqphAfjs0_F595ODT1143zD0uopCxmeBS1rojVZxVUTBEwmsdsqk6GqDxWsaRDqYqMYYtwpotlF4a/s1600/Light+and+shadow+on+a+sphere+form+modeling+highlight.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnnZRj5r_EQHX83djDoCwEoMPCGR79Fx8N7sZcAnXDVYY-nqujv9Q9U4m9Fq_EkSRlqphAfjs0_F595ODT1143zD0uopCxmeBS1rojVZxVUTBEwmsdsqk6GqDxWsaRDqYqMYYtwpotlF4a/s400/Light+and+shadow+on+a+sphere+form+modeling+highlight.jpg" width="400" /></a><br /><br /><div class="p1">Since highlights belong to the world of specular reflection, they should be thought of as somewhat separate and distinct from the normal modeling factors (light, halftone, and shadow) of diffuse reflection. Artists in the world of 3D computer graphics can control the form-modeling and the specularity as separate components.<br /><br />I wrote an article on this subject of "highlights and specularity" for the current issue of International Artist magazine, which should be on the newsstands now. This blog post is just a little piece of it.</div><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Fg0N4shgHsOJkaYebXZeUM8dj3B88aHbfKY2aLreu6JJVnzOhjIDXwR0AUW_swvL-BLmMRFgBTSnqNGbZvb61v2AWmZ08n8E77As3LjygLrKhYV3_izNrIOogp9bYq3_RDtA_lnrnwZx/s1600/Highlights+Article+IA+James+Gurney.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Fg0N4shgHsOJkaYebXZeUM8dj3B88aHbfKY2aLreu6JJVnzOhjIDXwR0AUW_swvL-BLmMRFgBTSnqNGbZvb61v2AWmZ08n8E77As3LjygLrKhYV3_izNrIOogp9bYq3_RDtA_lnrnwZx/s400/Highlights+Article+IA+James+Gurney.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />The six-page article contains a lot more examples and explanation, and it includes artwork that has never been reproduced in print before. I'll talk more on the blog about highlights in real-world examples tomorrow.<br />----<br /><a href="http://www.international-artist.com/splash.aspx">International Artist magazine, Issue 90</a><br />This subject is also covered in my book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0740797719/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0740797719&linkCode=as2&tag=gurnjour-20">Color and Light: A Guide for the Realist Painter (Amazon)</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=gurnjour-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0740797719" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />, <a href="http://jamesgurney.com/site/213/color-and-light-a-guide-for-the-realist-painter">also available signed from my website store.</a><br /><br />

Highlights and Specularity, Part 1

This photograph shows three spheres with varying surfaces. The one on the left is matte, the one in the middle is glossy, and the one on the...

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Qualities of Light

We painters can learn a lot from photographers, who need to be keenly aware of the properties of light.<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="253" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/u9prcUCHlqM" width="450"></iframe><br />(<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9prcUCHlqM&feature=watch-vrec">Video link</a>) In this video, Karl Taylor explains hard light, soft light, magic hour light, and reflected light.<br />-------<br />My book,<i> Color and Light, </i>also covers these points. You can get a copy <a href="http://jamesgurney.com/site/213/color-and-light-a-guide-for-the-realist-painter">signed by me,</a> or <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0740797719/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0740797719&linkCode=as2&tag=gurnjour-20">from Amazon</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=gurnjour-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0740797719" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />.<br />

Qualities of Light

We painters can learn a lot from photographers, who need to be keenly aware of the properties of light. ( Video link ) In this video, Karl T...

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While waiting for lunch...

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I never tire of the classic diner still life. There's always about a 15-20 minute time limit from when the order goes in to when the food is on the table. The time limit focuses the brain better than coffee does.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6jF6jpUWgXCsXV-DAUFe9-SWNJ3EMgRRcolF2wOywODTL6fbavg1L8sTTCGgHzhhk8PpdLthf6jD7NNJjvrFlc93xvGmNUONZgKQiroYhM0O0aMdXaGHXZpN2Q1NkGgTuBWuj-wEabQI/s1600/Diner+Tabletop.sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6jF6jpUWgXCsXV-DAUFe9-SWNJ3EMgRRcolF2wOywODTL6fbavg1L8sTTCGgHzhhk8PpdLthf6jD7NNJjvrFlc93xvGmNUONZgKQiroYhM0O0aMdXaGHXZpN2Q1NkGgTuBWuj-wEabQI/s1600/Diner+Tabletop.sm.jpg" /></a><br />The humble catsup bottle, sugar shaker, napkin holder, and creamer are an interesting challenge to paint, because they offer a variety of transparent and reflective surfaces: stainless steel, glass, and paper. And there's the catsup creeping up the side of the bottle, backlit and warmed with transmitted light.<br /><br />What interested me this time were the two colors of light on the subject. From the left was a cool light the window, which mostly looked out to the blue sky. The light inside was from a relatively warm compact fluorescent. So my first move after laying in the subject in pencil was to lay down a  <a href="http://gurneyjourney.blogspot.com/2011/07/ghost-wash.html">ghost wash</a> to establish the overall cool and warm statement, being careful to paint around the highlights.<br /><br />I hope all this make sense. I would show you a video, but I was too preoccupied to shoot one.<br /><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />Technical notes: The painting is done with a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000HBWE60/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=gurnjour-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B000HBWE60">half pan watercolor set</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=gurnjour-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B000HBWE60" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> in a<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/8883705629/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=gurnjour-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=8883705629"> watercolor notebook</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=gurnjour-20&l=as2&o=1&a=8883705629" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />. I used two flat watercolor brushes: 1 inch and 1/4 inch, with a few dark accents from<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00134QBQO/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00134QBQO&linkCode=as2&tag=gurnjour-20"> watercolor pencils</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=gurnjour-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00134QBQO" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />.<br />----

While waiting for lunch...

I never tire of the classic diner still life. There's always about a 15-20 minute time limit from when the order goes in to when the foo...

Read more »