Publisher's Synopsis
The mastery of light distinguishes exceptional paintings from good ones; it also separates extraordinary artists from ordinary ones. All paintings are paintings of light. So, to truly capture the essence of the object you're painting, you must understand how it responds to light. This work breaks down the science of light into basic, easy-to-understand concepts. It explores such areas as perceiving and interpreting the visual world, reality and illusion, mood and atmosphere. Each of the book's four parts is written so that you can read it from beginning to end or focus on specific topics. In Part One: Seeing Light, the authors describe how to fully appreciate light. Part Two: The Nature of Light details how patterns of light and shade are created and shows why the quality of light in a painting is essential. Part Three: Technical Considerations in Painting Light discusses the various mediums available to you and how your choices influence the results you achieve. Part Four: Capturing the Illusion of Light reveals how to create paintings with a life of their own.
