The sixth sessions of the Trihue Watercolor class for Winter 2018 were held on Wednesday, February 21 and Sunday, March 11. The white light homework was critiqued. The new topic for this week is colored light. Dick gave a demo of colored light shining on white paper and on an arrangement of different colors and values. Colored light and shadow work to unify a scene, because all colors are affected equally. Shadow colors are the complement of the light color, plus black (because all light contains a lot of white light) and any ambient light (outside, the blue of the sky). Sunset provides an opportunity to observe this phenomenon, with amber light and rich blue-green shadows. For more detail, be sure to read the post linked to in the “Other resources” section.

Week 6 homework assignment and handouts

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Colored light in real life

Colored light and shadow demo photos

It’s good to understand the rules for how light behaves, but it’s even more important to observe them for oneself. Dick gave a demo of light and shade, and colored light and shade, on white paper and on a varied set of colors.

Wednesday class

Sunday class

Videos

Critique: Illusion of white light

What is good Gestalt?

An image with “good Gestalt” communicates your intended message without ambiguity. It is often characterized by a casual arrangement which avoids formal symmetry and unintended coincidence or overlap of points or edges. (2:18)

A cast shadow is a film

Every brushstroke of transparent watercolor is laying down a film, making it easier for a watercolorist to convey consistent shadows than it is for an artist using an opaque medium. (0:38)

Assessing shadow value contrasts

Dick Nelson critiques white light and shadow watercolor homework. Look for value relationships between colors in light to be maintained in the shade: “This is to this, as this is to this.” To keep the shadow saturation consistent, mix up plenty of your shadow color, and be sure to wet the entire contiguous shadow area and paint the shadow color in quickly while it is still wet (but not puddly). Remember: a shadow is a film, and unifies, because it treats all colors under it equally. (7:26)

Shadows in a perspective drawing

Dick Nelson examines shadow values in a 3D perspective watercolor study. (2:03)

White and colored light demos

Paper – white or gray?

Looking closely at light and shade and our own perceptions. (0:48)

How different values are affected by light and shade

Noticing the value contrast of a shadow cast across two colors of very different value. (0:50)

Colored light and its complementary shadow color on white

Dick Nelson demonstrates the appearance of lit and shaded areas of white paper under different colors of light: red, pink, green, and blue. (1:59)

How colored light and shade affect different colors

Dick Nelson demonstrates how different colors are enhanced or dulled by colored light and its complementary-colored shadow. Pink light, blue light, and amber/sunset color light are shown. (3:45)

Homework critique – Illusion of white light

Wednesday class

Sunday class

Other resources

Colored light sessions held during past Color Relationships classes are documented on this website, which provide additional commentary and photos for the serious student. Susan recommends this 2016 Color Relationships post dealing with colored light, and it contains links to earlier sessions.

A demo on creating the illusion of a red spotlight, and of an amber light on a flat arrangement of colors.

A tutorial on how to create the illusion of a cast shadow from a colored light source on a form and colors.

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Mahalo to Valérie Richter for Wednesday photos and videos, and to Holly Duane for Sunday photos.