Intuitive Light : An Emotional Approach to Capturing the Illusion of Value, Form, Color and Space

by Albert and Leslie Trainor Handell

• ISBN13: 9780823025893
• ISBN10: 0823025896
• Format: Trade Paper
• Copyright: 2003-02-01
• Publisher: Watson-Guptill

Summary

The mastery of light distinguishes exceptional paintings from good ones; itlso separates extraordinary artists from ordinary ones. All paintings areaintings of light. So, to truly capture the essence of the object you'reainting, you must understand how it responds to light. This work breaks downhe science of light into basic, easy-to-understand concepts. It exploresuch areas as perceiving and interpreting the visual world, reality andllusion, mood and atmosphere. Each of the book's four parts is written sohat you can read it from beginning to end or focus on specific topics. Inart One: Seeing Light, the authors describe how to fully appreciate light.art Two: The Nature of Light details how patterns of light and shade arereated and shows why the quality of light in a painting is essential. Parthree: Technical Considerations in Painting Light discusses the variousediums available to you and how your choices influence the results youchieve. Part Four: Capturing the Illusion of Light reveals how to createaintings with a life of their own.

Table of Contents

Introduction	9	(1)
PART ONE. SEEING LIGHT	10	(16)
The Magic of Light	12	(4)
Perceiving and Interpreting the Visual World	16	(2)
Reality and Illusion	18	(2)
Light, Mood, and Feeling	20	(2)
Light and Artistic Vision	22	(4)
PART TWO. THE NATURE OF LIGHT	26	(32)
Natural Light Outdoors	28	(6)
The Sky as a Source of Light	34	(1)
Seasonal Changes of Light	35	(5)
Natural Light Indoors	40	(2)
Artificial Light	42	(1)
Reflections and Reflected Light	43	(5)
Understanding Shadows	48	(6)
The Directional Movement of Light	54	(4)
PART THREE. TECHNICAL CONSIDERATIONS IN PAINTING LIGHT	58	(36)
Painting Light with Oils	60	(2)
Painting Light with Pastels	62	(2)
Painting Light with Watercolors	64	(1)
Capturing Light with Pencil and Charcoal	65	(1)
The Effect of Your Working Surface's Color	66	(4)
How Different Subjects Absorb or Reflect Light	70	(24)
PART FOUR. CAPTURING THE ILLUSION OF LIGHT	94	(50)
Transitory Moments	96	(4)
Painting Light from Photographs, Slides, Drawings, and Visual Memory	100	(6)
Prevailing Light	106	(4)
The Interactions of Light, Color, and Value	110	(4)
Light and Color Temperature	114	(6)
Composing with Light	120	(4)
High Key and Luminosity	124	(2)
Low Key and Resonance	126	(2)
Achieving Luminosity through Variations of Different Colors of the Same Value	128	(4)
Defining Form through Patterns of Light and Shade	132	(4)
Light, Atmosphere, and Lost and Found Edges	136	(2)
Using Light to Create Volume, Depth, Atmosphere, and Space	138	(2)
Radiating ``Inner Glow'' and Creating Paintings with a Life of their Own	140	(4)
Index	144