Look! Seeing the Light in Art

This exciting art title focuses on how artists use light in their paintings. This book uses some of the most famous and best-loved artists of all time to show how their paintings reflect dramatic light, mysterious light, cold light, hot light, dappled light, rainy light, light patterns, light shapes and other forms of light.

Look at dramatic light ............................8

Look at mysterious light ......................10

Look at cold and hot light .....................12

Look at dappled light .............................14

Look at rainy light ..................................16

Look at stormy and calm light .............18

Look at reflected light ..........................20

Look at light patterns ..........................22

Look at light shapes ..............................24

Look at light textures ...........................26

Look at light lines ..................................28

Look at light solids ................................30

Look at light contrasts .........................32

Look at highlights .................................34

Look at night lights ...............................36

Look at heavenly light ..........................38

Look it up ..............................................40..

Index .......................................................45.

Look at dramatic light

Have you ever been to the theatre and seen the way

spotlights highlight the action on stage? Long before stage lights

were invented this artist used dramatic lighting to make his

paintings more powerful. This painting demands your attention.

It certainly is a very unusual scene.

Saint Paul sprawls awkwardly on the ground under the raised

leg of a hefty-looking horse. He has been overcome by a vision

so powerful that he has completely lost control.

Deep shadows surround the brilliantly lit action. Look at

the way light catches Paul’s outspread fingers. Light hits the long vein in the old man’s leg and highlights the smooth curves of the patient horse. Saint Paul is painted upside down and pushed right up against the edge

of the picture-frame. His feet seem to be

a long way away but his arms and hands

are close up, vividly bright and startling.

Dramatic lighting makes this

an unforgettable picture.

No wonder this artist has

been called ‘Master of Light’.

For drama, use white chalk

to highlight important parts

of your drawing. Add deep

shadows with dark chalks around

the highlighted parts.