Lesson 5: Transparency, Reflections, Shadows and the Art Of Illusion.
Luminosity
"So what is a non-luminous object? It is any object that does not produce light of its own. For example, the Moon seems to shine at night and provides us with a little bit of light that might help us to find our way around in the dark. But in reality the Moon does not produce its own light; it is just reflecting sunlight that is falling onto it. The Sun can shine on the Moon even when you cannot see the Sun because of the special positions that the Sun, Moon and Earth are in. Sometimes non-luminous objects that reflect light are called illuminated objects.Luminous and Non-Luminous Objects 'The Sorceress and the Sea' by Emmeline Foo Wen Li
There are many ways that an object can come to be lit. The light can come from inside. This could be a lantern, a light bulb, fire or a flame. The light could come from underneath such as a light shining up into something.
Understanding light sources becomes very, very important in paintings and drawings, where light is emanating from one object, which in turn illuminates other objects within the picture frame. Again CAUTION! how complicated was that proposition? It is possible to have lots and lots of sources of light contained within one picture plane. Imagine you are on the streets of Las Vagas? Lots and lots of light sources all blinking and flashing at you at the same time....HALT ...Don't get inspired..... not yet! Too complex. Be kind to yourself and attempt to learn about light gradually. NB* Don't forget that colour will complicate the situation too. Learn about how light emanates form different sources - one aspect at a time. Try not to complicate the situation by using colour. (Unless you are skilled in this area.) Or you may just end up never wanting to draw again at all. This discouragement happens to many, many aspiring artists. I see it all the time. It dosen't need to happen to you.
Read around first.
Drink in so much knowledge about light - that you get to the stage where light becomes your friend. Later you can get tricky. But enjoy the learning process until such time as you can.Tricky does not necessarily = good. Simplicity can sometimes = enjoyment.If you are gradual and gentle a style will develop that belongs to just you. This is what you are after. Personal fulfilment and blissfulness comes from contentment. The attainment of contentment is a long-term proposition. Just for today have an enjoyable read around. This is a good starting point How Light Works It's Magic. by J.L.Hagan. Read everything that you can by J.L.Hagan. An understanding of light seems to be his gift. He can explain it with great clarity. I have found that since reading his work I have started to experiment with aspects of lighting that I didn't know existed! Please take in the exclamation mark. I didn't know that some ways of representing lighting existed - even though I have been drawing since I was about 6 years old or earlier. This highlights the idea that we don't actually 'see' what we are looking at, until such time as we intentionally circumvent the < a href="http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/10824/95906>visual shorthand that our mind develops for us when we are quite young. Again
- read around - get comfortable - you can't possibly retrain your eye to see overnight.
- Experiment when and how you can.
- Keep records so that it is easier to remember. And gradually you will begin to notice what goes on around.
- Be a scout on the trail of lighting adventures. The subtleness and gentleness of visual illusion will settle into your daily awareness's and perceptions.
- Pleeeeeese - don't make the drawing and capturing of these experiences a chore. One minute max - should be the catch cry!
