U4 PDF Summary

Supplemental Resources Jean Fraisse domestika.
org
HOW TO
PAINT COLORS
AND MATERIALS
Supplemental Resources Jean Fraisse domestika.org
COLOR THEORY
To be able to paint, we have to understand color in it’s 2 main dimensions: it’s physical properties, and the way it can
be arranged to create aesthetics. Together, they are called color theory.
COLOR = VALUES
It is key to understand that colors work exactly the same as values. We can establish contrast ith
colors as well as with values. To do so, the color wheel is a precious asset.
VALUE CONTRAST
Value contrast, as we have already seen, is the juxtaposition of different tones in the values scale to
create a clear differentiation between two areas.
COLOR CONTRAST
Color contrast works the same. Still, it is more varied as we can create contrast not only with the
extremes black and white, but with any group of opposite colors on the color wheel.
COLOR PALETTE
A color palette is a group of colors chosen to create a certain harmony. Generally speaking, a color palette
can be analogous, meaning made of similar colors, or complementary, meaning made of opposite colors.
THE KEY TO HARMONY

Harmony is about finding balance between variation and repetition. The color wheel will help us a lot in that regard:
whenever I have to choose a color, I can decide if I want it to be similar to the other colors of my palette, or different.
HOW TO
RENDER (THE 3
LAYERS METHOD)
THE 3 LAYERS
Rendering (pating an object’s appearance) is hard because it is the overlaying of several additive of
information. In this course, we will learn to identify the 3 layers that defines how an object will look.
LOCAL COLOR
The first “layer” that you can find at the base of any object’s appearance is its local color or texture.
This means how color is distributed over it, or whether it has patterns or textures “painted over”.
MAIN LIGHT
Light will have a huge impact on how an object appears in front of our eyes. First because it will reveal the
material of an object, but also because the color of the lightsource will modify the actual look of the object.
COLORED LIGHT
When a colored light hits an object, the perception of its local color changes. The general rule of thumb is : if the light
color is far from the object’s on the color wheel, the object will look darker and less saturated that it is.
BOUNCE LIGHT
To understand bounce light we have to understand that an object’s appearance is actually only the blurry reflection of all its surroundings.
What we call bounce light is then only the object “showing us” which objects are standing next to it. Mind blowing isn’t it?
LOOKING FOR THE LAYERS

We will study this wooden bust and try to define all the 3 layers of information and how it affects the
look of it. Here we can see that the local color is a wood brown.
LIGHT COLOR
We can now identify how the object looks depending on it’s light squeme. In this case, two lights are
hitting the bust, one warm key light and one cool fill light, both affecting our perception of the bust.
BOUNCE LIGHTS
We can clearly see in this example, how the object “reflects” its surrounding showing in all its bottom
planes the color of the drapery underneath it. This is a classic bounce light situation!
HOW TO
PAINT A STILL
LIFE SCENE
1. UNDERSTANDING THE STRUCTURE

To copy such a scene, the first step should always be analisis. We have to understand what are the
primary contrasts of the image, identifying our different value groups based on local colors.
2. MAIN LIGHTING
The lighting will also affect the value distribution. This is how we have to take it in account when
analizing the distribution of light, medium and dark tones.
3. FACE ORIENTATION
The second part of the analisis will consist in observing the face orientation of our objects topology. This will give us key
information how light will react and where both the core and cast shadows will be placed.
4. PARTICULAR VOLUMES
Understanding the face orientation will be priceless to identify how specific parts of certain objects will react. For example, The volume
of the pumpking as some degree of complexity that must be understood to render it properly.
5. LIGHT SOURCE
It is important then, to match the face orientation with the direction of light.
This will show us how to paint light on each object.
6. LOCAL COLORS
Once we have precisely understood ou rimage, the first step would be to apply local colors to each
individual object, respecting both the color and value aspect of it (dark, medium, light color).
7. TEXTURE
We can then apply over the local color, some textural information. We can paint it manually (as for
the kitchen towel), or using brushwork to simulate noise or color variation.
8. MAIN CONTRASTS
Now, we must establish the value distribution of the image, based on what we have analyze on the first steps. We can see how
this step allows right away to give structure and a sensation of reality to the painting.
9. SHADOWS AND HIGHLIGHTS

Painting is, at this point, just a matter of identifying which part of the image will be in shadow and
which will receive light, may it be soft or specular (highlights).
10. FINISHING
In order to give a finished look to the image, we have to add textural details and overall brushwork. This means that we will try to use a variety of
brushes and use them in differents ways to give a lively feeling to our painting and simulate different kinds of textures and materials.
Supplemental Resources - Teacher’s name domestika.org
In orden to be able to paint, we have

to understand how both color and
light work. It’s thanks to this
understanding, that we will be able to
analyze accurately the images we
want to copy and learn from, in order
to create our owns.

U4 PDF Summary

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

U4 PDF Summary

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Supplemental Resources Jean Fraisse domestika.

THE KEY TO HARMONY

LOOKING FOR THE LAYERS

1. UNDERSTANDING THE STRUCTURE

9. SHADOWS AND HIGHLIGHTS

In orden to be able to paint, we have

You might also like