LIGHT AND EXPRESSIONand their use in Art

The light

• Light not only makes objects and people visible, buy it can modify its properties depending on what we want to express.

Look carefully this screenshot of the film “Apocalypse Now”. What does enlightenment suggest to you?

Sources of light

High and low key

Quality of the light

Direction of the light

Sources of light

• We distinguish between two sources of light: natural and artificial.

Natural light, as in this case, from the sun.

Or artificial light, which comes from sources such as lamps, bulbs and flashes.

High and low key• High or low key lightning is a style of lightning used in

films, television or photography to create mood and portraits with impact.

High key lightning is often quite homogeneus and free from dark shadows.

Low key lightning offers more contrast accentuating contours of an object and throwing areas into shade

Quality of light• The quality of light is something we describe based

upon visual perception. It can be soft (diffused light) or hard (direct light).

Hard light is directional and cast strong shadows and bright highlights. It comes from midday sun or direct lightning from lamps or flashes.

Soft light is non directional and comes from a diffused source as a cloudy day or strobes through umbrellas. It softens images eliminating textures and contrast.

Direction of the light

• Depending where the light source is placed and hits the subject we have…

• Front light• Side light• Back light• Top light• Under light

Front light

• Gives information about all visible surfaces but softens volume and textures.

Side light

• Gives sense of volume and enhance textures.

Back light

• Highlights background figures, leaving a silhouette.

Top light

• Illuminates the figure from above, creating shadows that exaggerate features.

Under light

• Illuminates the figure from below creating a ghostly effect.

Expressiveness of light

• With light we can also show feelings, moods and very different psycological effects.

• Create environment or atmosphere and evoke specific symbolic meanings

Velazquez, “El aguador de Sevilla” 1623

José de Rivera, “El martirio de San Felipe”, 1639

Jan Vermeer, “La joven de la perla”

Caravaggio, “Autorretrato como Baco enfermo”, 1593-94

Caravaggio, “El amor victorioso”

Caravaggio, “David y Goliath”

Joaquin Sorolla, “Cosiendo la vela”Rembrandt, “Autoretrato”

Rembrandt, “La ronda de noche”

Rembrandt, “Lección de anatomía”