Color and Light - Atmospheric Effects Chapter 10 + 11
ATMOSPHERIC EFFECTS
Sky Blue
The effect called Rayleigh Scattering is what makes the sky blue.
The sun's effect on clouds is different when you look towards versus away from the sun. From the towards point of view, light shines around the edges of the clouds, almost outlining them with light. From the away point of view, light falls more evenly on the surface of the clouds, making them look like the clouds we usually think of, and get darker towards the bottom. Small clouds are not as dense as large clouds so they are more opaque.
The color of the sky will also mix with the sunlight when you are looking towards the sun, making the sky more of a light blue-green. When you look away, the sky will be a richer blue-violet.
Skyholes and Foliage
Instead of trying to paint every single individual leaf on a tree, focus on the skyholes so that you can capture the softness. Skyholes often are not as light as the sky behind it because little branches in the middle inhibit the light from passing through.
Leaves are lighter and more transparent in the springtime than in the summer after they have more chlorophyll. Some trees are more transparent than others as well.
Sunbeams and Shadowbeams
In dusty or moisture-laden air, sunbeams and shadowbeams are likely to appear. Sunbeams only happen in specific conditions:
James Gurney's Conditions for Sunbeams:
1. A layer of clouds, foliage, or architecture has only a few openings.
2. Air is filled with smog, dust, or smoke.
3. The perspective is looking at the sun.
Sunbeams usually make shadows on a form much darker and the light a little lighter. Sunbeams and shadowbeams should only be used every once in a while, as they catch a lot of attention
Dappled Light
The light that falls through the leaves will be different sizes or shapes depending on the foliage above. When a shape falls onto a surface that isn't flat, it will spread out.
Cloud Shadows
Clouds sometimes interrupt the light from the sun. This can be helpful to direct the viewer's attention.
Do not transition from sun to shadow too quickly, and make sure that the clouds match the shadows.
Illuminated Foreground
When you illuminate the foreground of a painting it is inviting the viewer to look there.
Snow and Ice
Snow is able to pick up more color than clouds or foam, so shadows are also going to pick up more color. As snow gets older, it gets darker and denser, making it shinier.
Water: Reflection and Transparency
Water is only especially reflective when you look at it straight across at a very shallow angle. When you look down on the surface of the water, not much light reflects back up to you. The reflections of light objects in the water will be darker than the actual object because some of the light will travel through the surface of the water instead of bouncing off.
Mountain Streams
Water that runs through mountain streams is cleaner than water that sits in rivers and lakes. Shadows in the water are warmer and darker due to the water's ability to distort color.
Color Underwater
Water filters out color that passes through it. When you get deep enough, the only colors that remain are violet and blue.
LIGHT'S CHANGING SHOW
Serial Painting
Serial painting is creating little thumbnails of color of your surroundings under different lighting conditions. You can paint them at different times of day to get different light.
At the End of the Day
Color and light are closely entwined in our perception of reality. The way an object is lit can create different feelings in the viewer. Keep lighting simple and clear. Consistently compare one value and color to another.
Sky Blue
The effect called Rayleigh Scattering is what makes the sky blue.
The sun's effect on clouds is different when you look towards versus away from the sun. From the towards point of view, light shines around the edges of the clouds, almost outlining them with light. From the away point of view, light falls more evenly on the surface of the clouds, making them look like the clouds we usually think of, and get darker towards the bottom. Small clouds are not as dense as large clouds so they are more opaque.
 |
| Unknown Artist |
One way to learn about the color of the sky is to use paint swatches from a store or a mirror to reflect the color of the sky. You can match the best color to the color of the sky.
The sky will get lighter as it gets towards the sun, from the solar glare, and darker/more saturated away from the sun. In addition, the horizon is lighter than the open sky.
Overall, you will need four starting colors to paint the sky.
Atmospheric Perspective
Things in the distance are obscured from the viewer by the illuminated air in between. The objects will eventually blend in closely with the sky, becoming more blue and light.
Distant silhouettes blend together and lose clarity as they fade away.
Atmospheric Perspective
Things in the distance are obscured from the viewer by the illuminated air in between. The objects will eventually blend in closely with the sky, becoming more blue and light.
 |
| Unknown Artist Atmospheric Perspective |
White objects in atmospheric perspective will grow in warmth. Clouds and sunsets become bright orange and red. This phenomenon only occurs when the air is clear and illuminated by the light.
 |
| tu recepcka Herman Pekel Atmospheric Perspective - White |
When moisture is added to he air, like by a waterfall or river, the tones are lightened and warmed.
Reverse Atmospheric Perspective
In some instances, the light becomes warmer further back into the scene. When dust or moisture lingers in the area of the sunlight, light catches on the particles and scatters. This often happens around sunset or sunrise. Sometimes light might spill over the edge of a cliff and fall onto a scene below.
This kind of lighting conveys a sense of strangeness or excitement.
Golden Hour Lighting
Golden hour is a short period of time at dawn and dusk in which natural colors are enhanced by the sun's light, which comes tangent onto the earth's surface and illuminates the things in its path. The light has further distance to travel, and so releases more light, making colors richer.
Sunsets
Sunsets can be hard to capture because there are many layers of air that the light interacts with on its way to the surface. When the sky has lots of moisture, pollution, or dust, the sun will make bright red and yellow colors as it sets. After the sun has set, a layer of grey color rises up where it went down.
Clouds catch light on the underside because the light. Clouds closer to the sun will be a brighter color and those higher will be closer to white.
Fog, Mist, Smoke, Dust
In any of these conditions, the light is scattered by the particles in the air. It isn't able to directly reach the ground, so it bounces around and can come from anywhere. Thus, extreme contrast is dimmed.
Rainbows
Rainbows are a result of light refracting through the rain. Rainbows don't grow or diminish in size with distance, since they are only created by the angle that the viewer is seeing the light. If there are two rainbows, the second rainbow's colors are reversed because it bounces twice through the raindrops.
When painting a rainbow, the rainbow colors will always be lighter than their background because of the extra light.
Reverse Atmospheric Perspective
In some instances, the light becomes warmer further back into the scene. When dust or moisture lingers in the area of the sunlight, light catches on the particles and scatters. This often happens around sunset or sunrise. Sometimes light might spill over the edge of a cliff and fall onto a scene below.
 |
| Unknown Artist |
 |
| Light on the Water James Gurney |
This kind of lighting conveys a sense of strangeness or excitement.
Golden Hour Lighting
Golden hour is a short period of time at dawn and dusk in which natural colors are enhanced by the sun's light, which comes tangent onto the earth's surface and illuminates the things in its path. The light has further distance to travel, and so releases more light, making colors richer.
 |
| AnneLaure Mais Moreau |
Sunsets
Sunsets can be hard to capture because there are many layers of air that the light interacts with on its way to the surface. When the sky has lots of moisture, pollution, or dust, the sun will make bright red and yellow colors as it sets. After the sun has set, a layer of grey color rises up where it went down.
Clouds catch light on the underside because the light. Clouds closer to the sun will be a brighter color and those higher will be closer to white.
Fog, Mist, Smoke, Dust
In any of these conditions, the light is scattered by the particles in the air. It isn't able to directly reach the ground, so it bounces around and can come from anywhere. Thus, extreme contrast is dimmed.
Rainbows
Rainbows are a result of light refracting through the rain. Rainbows don't grow or diminish in size with distance, since they are only created by the angle that the viewer is seeing the light. If there are two rainbows, the second rainbow's colors are reversed because it bounces twice through the raindrops.
:quality(75)/curiosity-data.s3.amazonaws.com/images/content/portrait/standard/aae2a29b-0e8c-469c-980d-c2458b5ea448.png) |
| Double Rainbow - reversed |
When painting a rainbow, the rainbow colors will always be lighter than their background because of the extra light.
Skyholes and Foliage
Instead of trying to paint every single individual leaf on a tree, focus on the skyholes so that you can capture the softness. Skyholes often are not as light as the sky behind it because little branches in the middle inhibit the light from passing through.
Leaves are lighter and more transparent in the springtime than in the summer after they have more chlorophyll. Some trees are more transparent than others as well.
Sunbeams and Shadowbeams
In dusty or moisture-laden air, sunbeams and shadowbeams are likely to appear. Sunbeams only happen in specific conditions:
James Gurney's Conditions for Sunbeams:
1. A layer of clouds, foliage, or architecture has only a few openings.
2. Air is filled with smog, dust, or smoke.
3. The perspective is looking at the sun.
Sunbeams usually make shadows on a form much darker and the light a little lighter. Sunbeams and shadowbeams should only be used every once in a while, as they catch a lot of attention
Dappled Light
The light that falls through the leaves will be different sizes or shapes depending on the foliage above. When a shape falls onto a surface that isn't flat, it will spread out.
Cloud Shadows
Clouds sometimes interrupt the light from the sun. This can be helpful to direct the viewer's attention.
Do not transition from sun to shadow too quickly, and make sure that the clouds match the shadows.
Illuminated Foreground
When you illuminate the foreground of a painting it is inviting the viewer to look there.
 |
| Night View from Rockefeller Center 1970 |
Snow and Ice
Snow is able to pick up more color than clouds or foam, so shadows are also going to pick up more color. As snow gets older, it gets darker and denser, making it shinier.
Water: Reflection and Transparency
Water is only especially reflective when you look at it straight across at a very shallow angle. When you look down on the surface of the water, not much light reflects back up to you. The reflections of light objects in the water will be darker than the actual object because some of the light will travel through the surface of the water instead of bouncing off.
 |
| Clouds Reflecting on the Water |
Mountain Streams
Water that runs through mountain streams is cleaner than water that sits in rivers and lakes. Shadows in the water are warmer and darker due to the water's ability to distort color.
Color Underwater
Water filters out color that passes through it. When you get deep enough, the only colors that remain are violet and blue.
LIGHT'S CHANGING SHOW
Serial Painting
Serial painting is creating little thumbnails of color of your surroundings under different lighting conditions. You can paint them at different times of day to get different light.
At the End of the Day
Color and light are closely entwined in our perception of reality. The way an object is lit can create different feelings in the viewer. Keep lighting simple and clear. Consistently compare one value and color to another.
Comments
Post a Comment