| Author |
Message |
 
Anonymous Painter
| | Posted on Thursday, February 2, 2006 - 1:02 am: |  |
Actually, if you paint in bright light or just paint brightly lit subjects, even if you are in shade, you will naturally tend to use much weaker color. The reason has to do with the way our color vision adapts to bright light or dim light. (This answer, like so many others, I found on handprint.com -- maybe it's called the "Hunt Effect," don't really remember the names of the various effects.) |
Raliegh
| | Posted on Saturday, January 14, 2006 - 12:29 pm: | |
Robert, I can imagine that series of 20 paintings, redone will come out so well. You know reproducing art can change the look as well. Especially amateur scanners, & digital cameras Ie, don't feel bad if you can post them on this site. |
John Preston
| | Posted on Saturday, January 14, 2006 - 10:19 am: | |
I've noticed the same thing. I thought perhaps the sheer strength of sunlight bouncing back off the paper or canvas made the weak color mixes look vibrant outside. Perhaps that's why you always see photos of Sargent painting under an umbrella or in a shaded location. |
Robert
| | Posted on Friday, January 13, 2006 - 12:34 pm: | |
Raleigh--I have a series of paintings (20) I did over 2 weeks in Queen Lillikahlanni Park in Hilo.
My goal at the time , last August, was to match the colors I saw as accurately as possible.
Upon reviewing them, many are very bland, washed out looking. I think indoors the lighting is so weak compared to sunlight that what looks bright in full sunlight looks grayish in indoor light. Thus, we have to paint en plein air much more boldly than we otherwise would need to pain when inside. I am now working on repainting the series in my studio and learning a lot in the process. |
Raliegh
| | Posted on Friday, January 13, 2006 - 12:26 pm: | |
This is extremely interesting. I remember sitting on the roof painting for hours, plein aire. What I created was very, very, bland. Plus the shadows were impossible to get a hold of. It worked earlier when I got stiff and tired and threw on some dark earth colors real fast. |
marie
| | Posted on Thursday, January 12, 2006 - 10:06 pm: | |
There are several advantages to northern light.
1) North light is a little cool and not too bright. Paintings done in a slightly cool light tend to wind up with nicely balanced temperatures and values.
2) If you are in the northern hemisphere the direct sun will always be a little to the south. If your light source is coming from the north then you are never working in really direct light, and so the shadows don't change as dramatically over the course of the day. I recall some real frustration trying to work in a studio with strong southern light. I started with shadows in one position, and 30 minutes later the light/shadow pattern was completely different. It was almost impossible to organize values and composition. |
Robert
| | Posted on Thursday, January 12, 2006 - 7:44 pm: | |
North Light is constant through the day with no direct sun--thus the light is "secondary, coming from an illuminated skly rather than direct solar rays. If you have ever painted outside and then taken a painting inside you probably noticed howe aenemic your painting suddenly looked. Without the blaze of direct sunlight the colors looks washed out. Painting out of direct sunlight allows for
bright coloring. North light through a window is cooler in tone, unchanging thru the day, and less brilliant. Perfect for art.
I live in Texas. I have spent days walking around Manhattan in the spring and then hopped a plane for home. The light seems intense and yellow compared to light in Manhattan. The light in the high deserts of ASizona makes all of the colors crisper. The lack of humidity lessens the haze on the horizon and the distant colors are brighter. The grand canyon is amazing in its own right, but the high altitude and dry conditions make it even moe brilliant. The sky above sante fe is manganese blue; above texas, cobalt; above a mountain top in colordado, ultramarine. All effects of altitude, distance from the equator, and humidity. |
midnight_baseball
| | Posted on Thursday, January 12, 2006 - 6:28 pm: | |
does anyone know why north light is recommended over other types of sunlight?
i really can't tell the difference - without a north facing window.
is it more even lighting or more special? does it depend on where your house is positioned to matter?
also - this brings to mind hearing of a difference between the light qualities of the northern united states versus florida light or arizona light or even the light in venice.
any info is greatly appreciated |
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