LIGHT AND VOLUME

•How would you represent the light on an object, for example, on a cone?

INFLUENCE OF LIGHT IN SPATIAL PERCEPTION•Light is a natural or artificial physical

phenomenon that allows us to see and distinguish objects that surround us.

•When light shines on an object, it creates areas of light and shadow.

•If the light changes, the perception of the object changes as well.

TYPES OF LIGHT•NATURAL LIGHT•ARTIFICIAL LIGHT

NATURAL LIGHT•How does natural light change?•What factors have an influence on it?

NATURAL LIGHT•Comes from the sun•The tones change depending on

▫The time of day▫The season of the year▫The weather▫The geographic location

ARTIFICIAL LIGHT•How can we produce artificial light?

ARTIFICIAL LIGHT•Produced by humans•The sources have changed

throughout history.▫Fire (bonfire, torch,

candlelight, lanterns)▫Electricity (fluorescent

lights, lamps, electric lanterns, flashlight)

▫LEDs

THE DIFFERENCE•The biggest difference between the two

types of light is that they produce distinct types of shadows.▫Natural light produces parallel rays▫Artificial light produces conic rays

•This is the reason why the shadows are different.

•Can you think of other differences?

FLUORESCENT

Artificial light

LESS CONSUMPTION

LIGHT BULB

LED BULB

FIREWORKS

FLASHLIGHT (Am E)TORCH ( Br E)

SODIUM LIGHTNING

CANDLE LIGHT

DIFFERENT POSITIONS OF THE LIGHT SOURCE

•Front lighting•Light from above

•Side lighting•Backlighting

FRONT LIGHTING•There is sensation of volume and depth is

minimal.

LIGHT FROM ABOVE•Gives us a sensation of tranquility.•Gives us a sensation of reality because it

is the type of lighting we are used to.

SIDE LIGHTING•Creates a sensation of mystery or drama•Produces a high contrast between the

illuminated area and mystery in the shaded area

•Johannes Vermeer

BACKLIGHTING•We can only see the background and the

silouettes of the figures

Chiaroscuro• Value describes volume and depth of space In

Europe artists of the Renaissance were concerned with showing depth and volume in opposition to the artists of the Middle or “Dark Ages.”

• Men of the Renaissance considered their time period to be the Age of Reason and rebirth of artistic and mathematical achievements.

• Renaissance artists manufactured the term “Chiaroscuro” to describe how light and dark can imply depth and volume.

•The word Chiaroscuro is a combination of two Italian words that mean light and dark. (chiaro (clear, light) + oscuro (obscure, dark)

•Atmospheric or Ariel perspective was one of the artistic strategies used in the study of Chiaroscuro during the Renaissance.

Light Sources and Shadows

•A light projected onrc an object or figure creates lights, darks, and cast shadows. Your source of light may be the sun, the moon, a light through a window or an artificial light. When several light sources are present the light and dark tones vary and are less predictable.

Two Kinds of Shadows•Cast Shadow: when an object blocks a

light source it casts a shadow. A cast shadow is not a solid shape but varies in tone and value.

•Form Shadow: A form shadow is the less defined dark side on an object not facing the light source. This shadow has softer less defined edges than a cast shadow.

THE LIGHT SIDE IN TWO PARTS•Highlight: The lightest spot is where the light

hits the subject in exactly the middle of the light side between the shadow edge and the edge of the object. A highlight can be shiny and defined on a glass or metallic surface, orfuzzy on a dull or textured surface.

•Light middle tones: To avoid confusion, “always”keep the values on the light side lighterthan the values on the dark side.

Reflected light•If the object being painted is sitting on a

white table, the light from the table reflects back onto the object and makes the shadow side lighter.

•Manet’s Painting, “The Railway” shows value contrast in composition, but the sensation of space is diminished when there are many light sources.

What kind of lighting do these two images have?

Notan• Notan is a Japanese word meaning dark-light.

The principle of Notan is the interaction between positive (light) and negative (dark) space. This interaction is confirmed by the ancient Chinese symbol of Yin and Yang.