Light and Atmosphere
and how things change
Building on the study of light zones, this week’s exercise challenges us to observe how different lighting conditions affect the mood and appearance of a scene.
Exercise:
Outdoors: Sketch or paint a subject (like a tree, car, or streetlight) under different lighting conditions. Compare morning and afternoon light, or day and night, sunny versus cloudy. Focus on capturing the unique qualities of each.
Indoors: Change the light source or its direction while painting a simple object or still life. Experiment with warm versus cool light or harsh versus diffused shadows.
Spend no more than 15–20 minutes per session, with about 10 minutes for each quick rendering. These rapid studies will help explore the dynamic effects of light and shadow in any environment.
Examples
First, I painted the view from my window - the tree across the street in the morning, and late afternoon. The light and shadows are quite different. This isn’t meant to be “high fidelity” painting, but a quick study.
The point of the Watercolour Workouts are quantity, not quality.
Second, a figure of a Seagull with the light from the front and back. Here I painted a value study with Sodalite Genuine, and a touch of orange (you can also use a pencil, markers, etc.).
Until next week,
Patrick