Painting in Layers• Bright underneath• Dull on top• (or vice versa)

paint on a dark background

Dark green on a red background

Monochromatic color schemes create a strong mood

“Light” Value and Concept

In art, light is emotion. The idea of a ‘spotlight’ is as old as the Romans.(Pantheon, Rome)

Light is emotion - in this painting it comes from the sky and the ground(John Singer Sargent "Setting Out to Fish" 1888)

The color of something depends on the light.Elmer Bischoff

What captivates us about the woman? The backlighting on her hat, and the veiled shadow across her eyes.(Johannes Vermeer, 1665)

Vermeer’s cat -Notice the backlighting around the head.

Degas' bather - the light is radiant, coming in from the window, and reflected up from the pan of water. Can you imagine this in black and white?

Here’s the black and white version.

The feeling comes from the contrast.

The woman is ‘bathed in light.’

Theatrical light is directional light illuminating darkness (like a theater stage or in a movie). This kind of chiaroscuro lighting was pioneered by Caravaggio. Caravaggio “The Calling of St Matthew“ 1602

Dramatic light used in art down through the ages.

“The End” (1897) by German Expressionist artist Kathe Kollwitz.

Early filmmakers evolved their vision out the tradition of painting - this case creating pools of light.

German filmmaker Gerhard Lamprecht, 1921

The language of dramatic light developed in Europe first in art and then in film, was transplanted to America in the 1930’s as these German filmmakers fled Hitler and landed in Hollywood.("Hands of Orlac” by Robert Weine)

The same dramatic feeling with just a man in a room. What if the man wasn't there, would the feeling be the same? (Richard Diebenkorn, brush and ink on paper)

Rembrandt also pioneered this kind of dramatic light.

In this painting, it’s a spiritual light falling from above, a ‘blessed light.’ It's directional but softer. And once again, light is reflected up from the water at the same time it flows down from the sky.

Rembrandt van Rijn: A Woman Bathing In A Stream (Hendrickje Stoffels) 1654

Another kind of light.

Glowing, mystical, supernatural light - the light isn't falling on the flower, the light is coming from it. It is the source of the light.

Georgia O'Keefe

Supernatural light, glowing from the object

This is also a long tradition in Western art.

Matthias Grünewald Isenheim Altarpiece 1615

The same kind of light applied to a surrealist fantasy: a glowing egg casts a supernatural glow on the shapes surrounding it.Glenn Hirsch, acrylic on canvas, 60x72

his same glowing, supernatural light applied to a flying saucer."The Day the Earth Stood Still" by Robert Wise

Another use for light is to arrange shapes - in this case, light against dark, and dark against light.

George Seurat, charcoal.

Translation of value, light against dark and dark against light. (Georges Seurat, drawing)

Translation of value - light against dark, and dark against light.

Translation of value - white against black, and black against white. (Mo Seder, student work.)

When faced with a complex composition, artists do a black and white study.

Artists look for the translation of value, light against dark and dark against light, when figuring out a complex composition.

“Self-Portrait in a Dream”

The life of dreams is lightGloria Andrade

The life of dreams is surprise

Franco Mancini

The life of dreams is detailCotalvi Gonzales

Animals can represent the soul

Jeanine McCallister

Animals can represent the soul

Jane Willson

Animals can represent the soul

Jane Willson

Kate Eisenberg

Flying dream Allison Goss

Falling dreamBrian Labrie

Floating dream Jonathon Burstein

A dream of sorrowLinda Norstrom-Jonsson

Dream party Michael Rabichev

Nightmare(after Alfred Hitchkock)

Susannah Bayne

NightmareCaravaggio

(after Caravaggio)Brian Mellio

Dream of ‘Losing Face’

Yoko Mazza

Dream of ‘Losing Face’

Yoko Mazza

Dream of ‘Losing Face’

Yoko Mazza