LIGHT

1.- LIGHT. DEFINITION

2.- TYPES OF LIGHT

a.- NATURAL LIGHT

b.- ARTIFICIAL LIGHT

3.- THE CONCEPT OF LIGHT AS A GRAPHIC

SYMBOL. TONE AND VALUE

4.- SHADOWS. TYPES OF SHADOWS

USE OF SHADOWS

5.- DIRECTION OF LIGHT

6.- FUNCTIONS OF LIGHT

a.- TO OBTAIN VOLUMEN

b.- TO CREATE EXPRESSIVENESS

7.- LIGHT IN DIFFERENT ART

a.- DRAWING

b.- PAINTING

c.- SCULPTURE

INDEX

LIGHT Light or visible light is electromagnetic radiation that is

visible to the human eye and is responsible for the sense

of sight.

Sight:

The ability to see.

The act or fact of seeing.

Electromagnetic radiation is a form

of energy emitted and absorbed by

charged particles, which exhibits

wave-like behavior as it travels

through space.

HOW TO SEE When we see objects we are receiving electromagnetic radiation in the form of visible

light into our eye. Our eye has a lens on the front which focuses the light onto the

retina of the eye. The retina is composed of light sensitive material which than creates

an image of what is being viewed. The light sensitive cones and rods of the retina

transmits the information to nerves which than transfers the information to the brain in

which a visual image is composed. The rods are not sensitive to colour and give better

night vision, but there are lot more rods than cones, the cones are sensitive to colour and

they are general located more in the centre of the eye, but their are far fewer cones than

rods in the retina of the eye. The photoreceptors make it possible for us to see in both

bright light and very dark environments.

TYPES OF LIGHT

b.- ARTIFICIAL LIGHT

Artificial lighting is any lighting that is not sunlight.

Generally speaking, artificial lighting is lighting

which is man made, such as fluorescent, tungsten,

mercury vapor, sodium vapor, halogen, compact

fluorescent, etcetera. It can be turned on and off

at a flick of a switch.

a.- NATURAL LIGHT

It is the one which comes from the sun.

Sunlight, in the broad sense, is the total frequency spectrum

of electromagnetic radiation given off by the Sun,

particularly infrared, visible, and ultraviolet light.

On Earth, sunlight is filtered through the Earth´s atmosphere,

and solar radiation is obvious as daylight when the Sun is above

the horizon.

When the direct solar radiation is not blocked by clouds, it is

experienced as sunshine, a combination of bright light

and radiant heat. When it is blocked by the clouds or reflects off

of other objects, it is experienced as diffused light.

THE CONCEPT OF LIGHT AS A GRAPHIC SYMBOL

As a graphic symbol light can be called: TONE AND VALUE.

TONE is light and dark. Light reveals, shows the world to us,

and shadow gives meaning to the things we see. .

TONE gives the impression of distance. Darker tones come forward

and lighter tones go back into the image

DURERO

FRIEDERICK

TONE can give emotion to an image. Highly contrasting tones give life and energy, softer tones give a gentle mood.

TONE can create rhythm, with the eyes jumping from one dark tone to another.

TONE can give solidity, volume and weight to an image

VALUE SCALE

High Key Paintings with predominately lighter values are said to be "high key".

Low Key Paintings with predominately darker values are said to be "low key“.

Colors (hues) are situated at different positions on the value scale

Value is every tone of a color from the darkest of the dark, to the lightest of the light.

When you arrange them in order from lightest to darkest, it is called a Value Scale.

When black and white are arranged in a Value Scale it is sometimes called a Gray

Scale, or a Key Scale.

COLOR VALUE

VALUE

Highlight is the light which is on the place

where the object receives the most direct

light from the source.

Half-Tones are the ones on the object

that receives light from the light source,

but no so directly.

Reflected Light is the light bouncing up

onto the back side of the object from the

surface the object is sitting on

MURILLO

SOROLLA

VELÁZQUEZ

In the simple diagram below, we can see that the light source is on the left side

and the shadows fall on the side furthest from the light source.

SHADOWS. TYPES OF SHADOWS

Core Shadow is where the

object receives the least

amount of light because

those parts of the object are

on the opposite side from the

light.

Cast Shadow is the shadow

which is in the area behind

the object where the light is

blocked by the object.

The cast shadow is always

darkest directly below the

object and can also be on

other object next to the first

one.

TYPES OF SHADOWS

The stronger the light, the darker and sharper the shadow.

The softer the light, the softer the shadow

FORTUNY

VELÁZQUEZ

BERTHE MORISOT

USE OF SHADOWS

DIRECTION OF LIGHT Light emitted from above and to the side when applied to portraits creates what is often referred to as "Rembrandt lighting". This form of lighting emphasizes edges and depth.

Light coming from behind a subject can form a silhouette resulting in object that is

completely black against a lighter colored background.

Silhouettes appear as two-dimensional shapes lacking form.

In landscape oblique lighting

occurs early and late in the day

where it enhances the natural

texture of the landscape and is

often accompanied by warm or

cool color casts

Form refers to the three-dimensional quality of an

object, which is due in part to light, and dark areas.

When light from a single direction hits an object,

part of the object is in shadow.

FUNCTIONS OF LIGHT

1.- Volume (Form)

ZURBARÁN

Light and dark areas within

an image provide contrast

that can suggest volume.

MELÉNDEZ VALDÉS

Factors that can affect our feelings towards an

image include the direction of the light source

from above or below, and the gentleness or

abruptness of the half tones.

b.- TO CREATE

EXPRESSIVENESS

EDWARD HOPPER

TONE in SCULPTURE is the way it catches the light, so that sharp changes are made by deep corners, and gentle ones by smooth gradual changes.

The appearance of light and shadow tells us

a lot about the surfaces and textures in the

image.

LIGHT IN DIFFERENT ART

BERNINI

Laocoonte pertenece a la escuela de Rodas.

DRAWING

REMBRANT

DA VINCI

PICASSO

MICHELANGELO

PAINTING

WERMEER

EDWARD HOPPER

VELÁZQUEZ