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LIGHT BASICS
2. BOUNCED LIGHT
3. SHADOWS
4. COLOR
5. SURFACE RESPONSE
6. DEPTH AND CAMERA
7. ART STUDY AND APPLICATION

ALL CONTENTS COPYRIGHT THE GNOMON WORKSHOP AND DESIGN STUDIO PRESS
Theory and Application with Jeremy Vickery
PRACTICAL LIGHT AND COLOR
PRACTICAL LIGHT AND COLOR THEORY AND APPLICATION WITH JEREMY VICKERY
ALL CONTENTS COPYRIGHT THE GNOMON WORKSHOP AND DESIGN STUDIO PRESS
1. LIGHT BASICS
When we look at an image or at the real world with our eyes there are many things our brains do to simplify the
information presented to us. In the following chapters Ill discuss many concepts of light and our interpretation
of light and discuss many things our subconscious minds already know. How can we tell simply by looking at an
image the material properties of the objects in the scene, how large or small they are, how close or far they
are, how hot or cold, wet or dry, rough or smooth? Light gives us all of this information, and if we simply take
the time to analyze the concepts of light we will be far more effective at applying these principles to our art
and image creation. Light in our world does one or more of 3 things when hitting a surface, it reflects, refracts
or is absorbed.
2. BOUNCED LIGHT
Refl ecti on i s when l i ght bounces off of a surface. If the surface i s smooth we cal l thi s a specul ar refl ecti on,
the most si mpl e case bei ng a mi rror. If the surface i s rough the l i ght rays are scattered i n many di fferent
di recti ons and wed cal l thi s a di ffuse refl ecti on, as the l i ght i s di ffused as the rays scatter. Some si mpl e
studi es of the real worl d show just how much of the l i ght we see i s di ffused refl ected l i ght.
3. SHADOWS
Shadows are simply the absence of light. Shadows can appear crisp with specular light and soft with diffused
l i ght. A good exampl e of the di fference i s a shadow from the sun on a cl ear day versus the shadow on a
cl oudy day. On a cl ear day wi th l i near paral l el rays from the sun, the shadow i s rel ati vel y sharp. In contrast
the di ffused l i ght of the sky on a cl oudy day wi l l gi ve a very soft di ffused shadow. Dynami c Occl usi on i s a
common term used i n computer graphi cs to depi ct very soft di ffused shadows.
4. COLOR
It is best to understand light in terms of temperature instead of simply intensity. As a light starts to accumulate
the temperature raises and changes the perception of this light to our eyes. A light bulb on a dimmer will
start out a deeply saturated red, then shift to orange, then to yellow, and eventually to white. As light gets
brighter the colors and saturation shift likewise. If we only consider intensity our images will look muddy with
values of gray being added to imply less light. If we think in terms of temperature our images can feel lush
and alive. It is also important to understand how our eyes perceive color relative to other colors in our eyes.
A very desaturated red can appear almost blue in a scene full of warm light. Likewise this same desaturated
red can feel very warm in a scene flooded with cool light.
5. SURFACE RESPONSE
The material properties of surfaces highly affect the way light is reflected, refracted and absorbed. Translucent
materials let light be absorbed and reflected, even reflected from below the objects surface. Subsurface
scattering is a common occurrence in the real world where light is diffused inside the object. Skin is a great
example of this. Some materials reflect light differently depending on the angle to our eye, like iridescent
materials. Soft fuzzy objects can also appear to have an angle dependent affect of light because of the
microscopic surface shape picking up light in complex ways. Reflections tend to be greater at a greater
angle. Looking at a window reflecting the sky will appear to have a stronger reflection at a grazing angle than
looking at that window straight on.
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PRACTICAL LIGHT AND COLOR THEORY AND APPLICATION WITH JEREMY VICKERY
ALL CONTENTS COPYRIGHT THE GNOMON WORKSHOP AND DESIGN STUDIO PRESS
6. DEPTH AND CAMERA
Similar to subsurface scattering, volumetric materials like water and air reflect light off of tiny molecules and
provide atmospheric effects. Our brains use the information to interpret depth. When we look out at a grand
vista we know which objects are close and which are far based somewhat on atmospheric light. Cameras
respond to light differently than our eyes and are far less sensitive to dramatic changes in intensity. One way
we can imply extreme light intensity is by mimicking camera bloom. It is also useful to understand how light
blurs in shallow depth of field and how this can be used as a tool for drawing our eye to a particular section of
a composition.
7. ART STUDY AND APPLICATION
The benefit of studying the real world around us and other artists work through the ages can be tremendous. If
we understand the pri nci pl es of how l i ght works and how our brai ns i nterpret thi s l i ght we can i ncorporate
these pri nci pl es i nto our own art and i mage creati on. If we are successful our i mages wi l l become more
bel i evabl e, have more depth and provi de the vi ewers greater understandi ng of the scenes portrayed, and
hopeful l y be more appeal i ng and beauti ful .
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