ACRYLIC PAINTING 101: Lesson 12

This weeks video has 4 parts:

Part 1 - We look at a round object with the descriptive language we will use when thinking about light.
 
Part 2 - We explore how a change of value on the ground impacts the light reflecting back into the object.  We will be using two spheres with different Local Values. Local Value just means the value of the actual sphere without bright light on it.
 
Part 3 -  We examine the Modelling Factors responsible for creating the illusion of form on a 2-dimensional board.  There will be the various values we will need to create.

Part 4 - Is where we shall draw and paint the sphere from the image you can download HERE

PART ONE - Light on a round object.

It is important to remember the sphere has two ways to graduates in two directions:  Top to Bottom and Side to Side. 
 
The sphere is a local value 8, meaning that the whole object is value 8 before there is light shining brightly on it. 
 
There is Direct Light on the left Side Plane.
 
The Top Plane there is Indirect Light
 
The right Side Plane is the Shade
 
In the right Under Plane there is Reflected Light bouncing back off the ground.
 
In the Shade area the darkest part is the Core Shadow.
 
Falling behind the sphere is the Cast Shadow
 
Finally, we have the occlusion or accent shadow directly under the sphere where the ground and the sphere meet.
 
 
PART TWO – How the ground value affects a round object.

In part two the value of the ground that the sphere is resting on will be changed.  Each value change will impact the light distribution in the under plane  and on  the right side plane that is the shade side.

Watch the Reflected Light in the under plane on the shade side of the sphere. The first step is value 10 (which is white).  Here you can see how bright the reflected light that is bouncing up off the ground back onto the sphere

​On to value 7! Notice how the reflected light already just a little less bright. As well the Core Shadow on the shade side is darker and covering a slightly larger area

Here we are at value 5, which is a middle value, the reflected light area is significantly smaller, the Core Shadow covers nearly all the shade side.   

The base fabric is at value 0, which is black, and there is no reflected light at all.  Value 0 absorbs all the light and we have that lost edge on half of the sphere.  The Core Shadow covers the complete shade side.  

Now we are changing the value of the sphere to a Local Value 5.  Starting with the Value 10 base you can see the reflected light at its brightest, which is not very bright at all compared to the Local Value 8 sphere.  

Dropping down three values to Value 7, the reflected light is low in the shade side and the Core Shadow is quite large. 

The ground is now Value 5 and the reflected light was only discernible if you saw it directly from life.  It is nearly gone at this point.  

The last ground was Value 0 and as with the other sphere, there is no reflected light at all as black absorbes all light waves. 

​PART 3 – MODELLING FACTORS

To create the illusion of form on a 2-dimensional painting surface you will need at the very least 3 value shifts.  In this case we are doing a sphere so we will need 3 values for the light area and 3 values for the dark area. 

The Modelling terms we shall use consistently are as follows:

The LIGHT area:                   Light Light - LL
                                               Medium Light - ML
                                               Dark Light - DL
 
A transition value:               HALFTONE:  HT
 
The dark SHADOW:             Light Dark - LD
                                                Medium Dark - MD
                                                Dark Dark – DD
 
Finally the last light factor:   HIGHLIGHT - HL


PART 4 – PAINTING THE SPHERE

Now we are on to the final step....painting the sphere.  In this part of the blog there are images that take us step by step through the process. 

Step 0: make the 1/2 step neutral value paints 

Step 1:     Print the image at a proper printing place like Staples. Find the image HERE
                 Then begin with the drawing.  I used a Ball Jar to help me along as it was the exactly the right size! 

Step 2:     Figure out the value of the background & do first painting pass on the background.

Step 3: Decide the Middle Dark, Dark Dark & Light Dark Values.  Paint the full  Shade side in the Middle Dark value.

Step 4: Decide the values for the Light Light, Middle Light and Dark Light for the light area of the sphere.  Paint the three values on the light side, starting with the Light Light, then to the Dark Light along the edge of the shade side, in between paint the Middle Light value.

Step 5: Soften the edges between the Light Light, Middle Light and Dark Light paints.  You can do that by using the 1/2 step value that goes between...so if your light is Value 9 the next 1/2 step is Value 8.5 that will sandwich between Value 8 and Value 9 perfectly.  ​

Step 6:   Here we use the Winsor Newton One Stroke brush to soften between the values.  Add small amounts of paint and use the brush to move the paint around.  

Make sure that you take the time you need to until  you are happy with the modelling on the light part of the sphere 

Step 7 - Create the half tone.  In the video I used the Middle Dark and the Dark Light to create the half tone.  I think that it may have been easier to use a Value that is a 1/2 step darker than the Dark Light Value.  Give that a try. 

Step 8: Paint in the cast shadow. 

Step 9: Paint in the Dark Dark into the shadow side where you see the darkest value in the Core Shadow. 

We are nearing the end.  

Step 10: Put in the Reflected Light in the left underside of the sphere. Mine could have been just a little lighter, go with what you feel looks best. 

Step 11: Place the occlusion (accent or crevasse) shadow at the base of the sphere.  This is the darkest part of the whole painting.  

Step 12: Paint the background with a second pass focusing in on cleaning up the edges of the sphere and its cast shadow. Remember to turn the board/canvas as you work along to make it easier for yourself. 

The 2 handouts can be found HERE