COLOR AND LIGHT

Okay, so, chapter 2 of  Color and Light is awesome. It talks about the different sources of light and how they look and how they affect an image.

Outdoor light consists of 3 kinds. The primary light source is the sun, which is a direct light and casts dark shadows. There is also the more diffused all-over light from the sky, which is bluish. There is also reflected light that bounces up from the ground and has the color of the ground from which it bounced.

When it’s overcast, the light is more diffused, and so colors are actually more distinct and bright, and there are fewer harsh shadows and highlights. It’s the ideal outdoor light for artists and photographers.

Window light is usually bluish, and it creates contrast with warmer electric lights in a room. Sometimes, light is also bounced from the ground outside to the ceiling–it’s often green or orange, depending on the color of the ground from which it bounces.

Candlelight and firelight are yell0w-orange.

Fall-off: The brightness of any point-source illumination diminishes rapidly with distance, according to the inverse square law–the effect of light shining on a surface weakens at a rate comparable to square of the distance between source and surface. (At twice the distance, the light is 1/4 as bright because rays must cover 4 times the area. At 3 times the distance, the light is 1/9 as bright.)

Indoor Electric Light is defined by 3 characteristics: Relative brightness, hardness or softness, and color cast.

Relative Brightness: How bright is one source compared to another? Relative brightness depends on wattage, type of lamp, how close the subject is to the light, and how bright other lights are.

Hardness or Softness: Hard light comes from a sharp, small point, like the sun or a spotlight. It’s directional and dramatic, casting crisp shadows and bringing out surface texture and highlights. Soft light emanates from a wider area. It’s more flattering and reassuring. It’s softer, causes more gradual transitions, and it’s good for task lighting.

Color Cast: Color cast is the dominant wavelength of a light source. Incandescent lights are strongest in oranges and reds, and weak in blues. Fluorescent lights emphasize yellow-green.

Streetlights and night scenes were traditionally lit with two sources–the moon (a blue or gray color) and orange flame-based light. In the modern world, there are more colors. Night scenes look different to the eye than they do to the camera.

To learn about night illumination:

Take photos with a digital camera set on a night setting. Disable the white balance setting and take pictures of a color wheel under different streetlights, then compare the photos to see how the colors are skewed. Try some urban night painting (light your palette with a portable LED light). Collect photos showing cityscapes at night.

Luminescence is the light given off by some objects at cool temperatures. Luminescent colors often graduate from one hue to another. Blue-green colors are most common in the ocean because the wavelengths travel the farthest through the water. Paint a scene in darker tones, then add the luminescence in at the end.

Hidden light sources can add interest. The three ways to light a scene are with a visible light source, a source outside of the frame, or from within the scene, but from  a hidden source. Concealed light sources provide interest. Mixing and matching different light sources (from different locations and with different temperatures) adds interest to a piece.

 

GRAPHIC L.A.

“Draw now… judge later.” Just go for it. Remember the basic rules of composition. Create bold shapes. Try the 70/30 rule.

Put in the work at the start, and at every stage of the process so that you can create a successful image. (Don’t try to skip to the end, like Prince Humperdink, otherwise things might not go as you had planned.)

Find the 3 main shapes, 3 main values, 3 main levels. Look for the best, simplest arrangement of values and forms.

EXPLORE. Move elements around a bit. Experiment with shape, placement, and all that jazz.

“A curious, less tense mind makes better choices and observations.”