Composing and Drawing Tip of the Week.

January 17, 2015

We can learn to read color the same as a musician reads a musical score. Even though a theoretic study of color is valuable, learning to read the colors we see is even more important because it sharpens out visual acuity.  One way to learn how to read color is to focus your vision on isolated sections of an image according to what's in shadow, in halftone and in light. 

Halftones are those transition colors between areas in shadow and in light.  It is in the halftones where we see the local color, a term we use for the actual color we perceive the image to be.  But more times than not, you will discover very little local color in what you see.  You will find that those non-local colors you see in shadow and in light occupy most of an image.  It's a fascinating thing to study.

Look at how much of this apple's image is actually in shadow or in light and how little local color halftone we see.



The same thing holds true in this photo of a peony.  Look at the colors in shadow.  You don't see the peony local color there, do you?  Now, shift your attention to just the colors in light.  There's no local color there either.  Now look at those tiny areas between shadow and light.  THERE is your local color in the halftone.

Here's what I found.

These two examples are easy to read because they are both located in a direct light.  But when light is diffused such as under an overcast sky, you see tonal colors rather than strong divisions of shadow and light.  Nevertheless, there is still a subtle value difference in areas falling away from the diffused light and those reflecting ambient light. The halftone is present but more attentuated. Here's an example of tiger lily foliage on an overcast day.



Try this little visual exercise while looking at your world.  It will change the way you see things and open up for you a new world of possibilities.  

Happy painting,
Dianne

P.S.  The first video tips tutorial will be launched on February 1.  Each video will be available as a download on your computer for $9 each. The plan is to release a new video each week throughout the year.   Just like these weekly newsletter tips, each will be focused on a single subject so that over time, you can build a video library on your computer according to what you find helpful.  

I will continue your free email newsletter tips and I'll be telling you more about the videos throughout this month.  Meanwhile, if there's a subject you'd like me to address in either the newsletter or in video, feel free to make your suggestion by email.

P.P.S. 
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