Chapter 5: Colors & Light

Created by: Tyler & Sarah

Concepts Hues & Colors (General) Warm/Cool Colors (Van Gogh – Crows over a

Wheatfield, Georges Seurat – Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte)

Value & Intensity (Artemisia Gentileschi - Judith Beheading Holofernes)

Light (Gianlorenzo Bernini - The Ecstasy of St. Teresa) Overview – Analysis (Michelangelo Merisi da

Caravaggio - Sacrifice of Isaac)

Color WheelPrimary Colors

RedYellowBlue

Secondary ColorsPrimary + primary

ie. orange, green, & violet Tertiary Colors

Primary+secondaryie. blue-green

HuesHues

Difficult to make portraits w/o huesBernini Quote (white)

ie. Marble unlimited range of hues (w)

Crows over a Wheatfield-Emotional Disturbance

-colors = opposite ends of the color wheel put side by side

-used to unify colors that are separated by the horizon line

-blue sky & immediate change to yellow grassy borders = dramatic (crows fly across the entire picture from one setting to the next)

-Impastoed – unrelenting urgency and passion of thick build up colors from opposite ends of the color chart are used to unify the colors above and below horizon line

Vincent Van Gogh1890

The Non-Designer’s Design Book

Crows over a Wheatfield Contrast

Between the sky and wheat field as well as between the blue sky and black crows

Alignment and Proximity Strokes on “sky” portion are like this “\”, while some of

the strokes on the bottom “wheat field” are like this “/”. Some strokes on the wheat field portion of the painting are also like this “\.” This defines the line between the wheat field and the sky as well as shows some continuity between the two.

Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte

-Serenity and Balance

-optical coloration

-producing a mix of colors to set the moods between light and dark

-dots of warm amongst cooler colors = created different intensities as opposed to one huge blob of color verse another

-color & light used to differentiate tones

Warm & Cool Colors

Georges Seurat

1884-1886

The Non-Designer’s Design Book

Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte Contrast

Contrast in color between the water and land Contrast between the “shaded” or “darker” area of the grass and

the lighter part Repetition (with Variation)

Umbrellas are commonly used throughout the piece. The red umbrellas are used in the “sunny” or well-lit area of

the piece, the blue umbrella is used while the person is sitting between the dark and light, and the person in the dark area is using a black umbrellas.

There is a clear division in the “sections” of this painting. The umbrellas tie the whole piece together, while variations in lighting, color, and mood are portrayed.

Value & IntensityJudith Beheading

Holofernes

Artemisia Gentileschi

c. 1630

Judith Beheading Holofernes

Analysis Value – L/D

red (blood, velvet sheet, etc.)

Intensity AKA saturation/chroma Brightness/dullness Dull red, brighter whites

The Non-Designer’s Design Book

Judith Beheading Holofernes Contrast

The color of the blood and the velvet sheet contrast against the color of the people’s skin.

Alignment The alignment of the mattresses and the fact that they are stacked

makes the observer believe that the man was comfortable, but oddly enough, being beheaded on a place that is usually associated with comfort. The leftmost woman in the picture is aligning her eyes with the line of the blade, which follows to the man’s neck.

Proximity The subjects in the picture are very close to each other. It appears

that the man and the woman directly above him are not strangers. His hand is at her chin, which shows possible affection, but at the same time, one of her hands is holding him down as the other woman beheads him.

The Ecstasy of St. Teresa Drapery

Portrays spiritual vision

Baroque – 17th century Lights and darks emotion

Autobiography – St. Teresa “…an angel appeared to her. In his

hands the angel held a golden spear with a point of fire at the tip.” (113)

Light = 3 dimensionality Robe (weight) folds in the dress Calm - dress

Gianlorenzo Bernini 1645~1652

The Non-Designer’s Design Book

The Ecstasy of St. Teresa Repetition

The shape of the clothing on the angel closely resembles that of the woman.

Alignment The rocks beneath the angel and the woman blend with the

robes but at the same time the texture of the rocks shows that there are a beginning and ending.

Proximity “When several items are in close proximity to each other,

they become one visual unit rather than several separate units.” (13) The angel and the woman are very close, suggesting an intimate atmosphere.

Sacrifice of Isaac

-uses light to “distinguish” one concept from another-ie. By brightening certain variations of the picture, that Caravaggio wants you (the viewer) to realize.-As a viewer, Caravaggio uses light to make your eyes focus on that particular area.-light is coming from the angel

- Symbolizes pureness and gratitude (angel’s vibe)

1600s

Michaelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio

The Non-Designer’s Design Book

Sacrifice of Isaac Contrast

The red robe that the man with the knife is wearing contrasts with the skin of the man he is trying to kill.

There is a “line of light” that your eyes follow, from the angel on the left down to the man lying down.

Eyes are drawn toward the sky, which is blue but is slowly being filled with clouds and darkness, perhaps signaling that the person on the left without the knife is running out of time to save the man lying down.

Proximity The person who is trying to save the man’s life is staying close

enough to reach the killer’s hand but not close enough to possibly be hurt by the knife.

The Non-Designer’s Design Book

Williams, Robin. The Non-Designer's Design Book Third Edition: Design and Typographic Principles for the Visual Novice. Berkeley, CA: Peachpit, 2008. Print.

Images http://www.1.bp.blogspot.com

/_RGxYcgLRQRc/R5ln0SFgggI/AAAAAAAAAJQ/QDUsObAN90Q/s400/Judith+Beheading+Holofernes-1.jpg

http://www.1.bp.blogspot.com/-UPuL6zT9iic/TjgfJEdTQaI/AAAAAAAAAQM/InOC3z-bu2w/s1600/Ecstacy_of_StTheresa.JPG

http://www.artandarchitecture.org.uk/assets/aa_image/700/1/8/c/8/18c8ee9227242a4e1f2506da0300ee9d34f3d515.jpg

http://www.traditionalchristianity.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/seurat-a-sunday-afternoon-on-the-island-of-la-grande-jatte.jpg

http://www.traditionalchristianity.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/seurat-a-sunday-afternoon-on-the-island-of-la-grande-jatte.jpg

http://www.wilsonpictureframes.com/VanGogh/vg4B.jpg