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HOW TO PAINT LIGHT

I teach students the art of painting and drawing light. As a lighting specialist, my fascination with light extends beyond the commercial and retail aspects to the artistic realm. Once students have developed their drawing and painting skills to accurately depict what they see, the study of creating light and shadow begins. This faithful representation of subject matter emerges in a world filled with space and volume.

LEARNING TO SEE

The depiction of light and shadow is achieved through the use of dark and light colors in painting, as well as tonal gradations in drawing. For beginners, this often requires some visual skills. I advise my students to convert what they see into a two-dimensional vision that can be translated onto a canvas or sketchbook page.

POWERFUL GRIDS

There are several methods for perceiving objects in a two-dimensional manner. The simplest and most time-tested approach is to construct a grid in front of the subject matter, whether it be actual objects, a photo, or a picture. This can be done by holding a pencil vertically and horizontally against the viewed objects, comparing their shapes to the lines of the pencil. Another method involves constructing a grid on plate glass or Plexiglas and placing it in front of the objects. Each quadrant of the grid can then be painted or drawn independently, resulting in an accurate picture of the objects.

Light and shadow are more easily discerned and created using this grid method. By observing and recreating the interplay of light and shadow in each quadrant, the objects can be accurately depicted on paper or canvas. This shading and highlighting creates illumination and volume, bringing the illusion of three-dimensional space to a two-dimensional surface.

EARLY LINE AND COLOR

Depicting artful images did not always prioritize accuracy, light, and shadow. Before the Renaissance, European artworks portrayed objects such as figures, landscapes, and buildings in a flat space devoid of light and shadow. Figures were delineated and colored in a style similar to a coloring book. These images translated well to stained glass windows and mosaics, with their simplicity of line and color contributing to the strength of the religious iconography they represented.

EARTHLY LIGHT

With the discovery of perspective, space and volume became crucial for artists, along with the depiction of light and shadow. Symbolic icons and line-based images gave way to depictions of illuminated spaces. In perspective, objects receded and advanced in a visually believable two-dimensional space. Adding directional light and shadow enhanced this believability, creating a simulated, illuminated three-dimensional environment that the eye could explore.

GOLD LEAF TO EARTHLY LIGHT

Spiritual light, representing infinity, often found expression through the use of gold leaf in Medieval altarpieces. The warm, glowing, reflective surface behind religious figures conveyed a rich and reassuring statement of heavenly glory and divine power. In the Renaissance, a more earthly light replaced gold leaf. Spiritual figures bathed in sunlight and were enveloped in shadow. The light that illuminated humble shepherds was the same light that shone on Jesus and his followers.

REPEATING HISTORY

It fascinates me how the journey of a beginner drawing or painting student often mirrors the historical transition from the Medieval use of line and color-in style to the Renaissance’s emphasis on illuminated space and volume. With more advanced students, this journey often continues to echo the contemporary preference for depicting flat, shallow space and solid color.

I find this repetition reassuring. The art world is filled with endless possibilities, encompassing various styles, images, materials, and skills. As artists today, we have access to everything, both from history and the latest technological and digital advancements, ready to be researched and developed for creative purposes.

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Ihab Salloum