Lets discuss lighting

[Zaknafain]

What do you think is important for lighting?
How can you express different moods with lighting?
If you have thoughts or theories about lighting: please post them.

I'm also searching for a series of refferences of the same face lit from different directions (for studies).

Some tutorials I found:
http://www.warpedspace.org/lightingT/part1.htm
http://home.earthlink.net/~terryleedawson/dcnotes/portraits.htm
and of course the lighting page from loomis.

[Dizon]

Light describes forms. It creates contrast, which helps determine your focal point. If you want to get a full range of tonal values, the light should be directly hitting an object. It is kind of like, throwing a ball directly against a wall. You will get your half-darks,half-lights, darkest darks(strong shadows), lightest lights(highlight; where the light is strongest). The Renaissance artists figured it would be best to light the subject at its left and right to get that full tonal range.

[Magic Man]

Its the first thing I think of.

[Bowlin]

I agree that there doesn't seem to be a lot of information for lighting, but is one of the most important art elements for realism type of work.

I've had an idea for a lighting exercise. Those sphere drawings in art instruction books... like here. (http://www.fineart.sk/show.php?w=436) Take photographs and draw a sphere that shows the lighting in that particular picture. I guess you'd have to have someone that's professional determine what's right and wrong, but it'd give ya a better eye for lighting.

[Idiot Apathy]

This one is linked in one that you provided:
http://www.itchy-animation.co.uk/light.htm
It's pretty good.

[Zaknafain]

Thanks a lot for your thoughts.

While watching some films today and constantly observing the use of lighting, I came to the conclusion that lighting:

- Is the key for the feeling and mood of a scene
- Can make the same person ugly / beautiful
- Can be used for visual storytelling
- Can make a face look flat and boring if its used wrong

I think Jason Manley said once that his lighting is not always realistic when it helps the composition. He also said that Rembrandt did this a lot.
I noticed that this it no trick for painters only. In many movies only the face is exposed but some cuts later you can see the lightsource and it doesn't seem to be possible to create such a focused lighting.

Just some of the thoughts I got today when thinking about lighting. I never really bothered about lighting until today :bashful:

[Marie]

I remember going through a history of animation course and the instructor sat through an entire movie and pointed out every single way lighting was used to convey mood/emotions... he talked non stop. So yes I wouldn't underestimate the value of lighting.

I think there is some good information out there, some tutorials even stickied I think on light.

I want to add a question though, I remember that short time as an architect major they had us make this white gridded "stage" or box if you will, it had a back side up a few inches also gridded. We then painted figures (like little toys, dinosaurs etc) with white gesso and would place them on the stage and draw it in different perspectives. Its been about 10 years so its hard to remember exactly what we were doing, I know part of it was perspective, the other part may have been lighting, you could set it up with a light all different ways and colors and observe. Set up more than one figure etc etc. and see how the shadows fell on the grid, or how the light reflected back onto another figure.

to the question... Would that be a good thing to do, in addition to just studying everday objects and light? Perhaps as a lesson in understanding what you are seeing.

[Patton Art]

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0823027686/103-2224699-7802238?v=glance
hopefully the link works

Ted Seth Jacobs "Light for the Artist" Its out of print, its too specific of a topic and too complex for hobby painters to pay attention to. It's really good though. This talks all about light, but moreso how to see light, not necessarilly how it effects emotional responses in your work.

[jfrancis]

Check out this DVD:

Visions of Light (http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=%22visions+of+light%22&btnG=Google+Search)

[Bowlin]

jfrancis - which link are you talking about? your link gives a google search

[jfrancis]

The top one is a good one -

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/630583685X/104-1395225-2225535?v=glance

[jfrancis]

Patton Art -

The out-of-print book you cite? -- I looked at the author's other books on Amazon, and his "Drawing With An Open Mind" has an extensive chapter on his ideas about light. It's in print and not too expensive.

I'll bet the chapter is a pretty fair sampling of the other book.

[DavePalumbo]

lighting can make or break a painting. Not only that it's interesting, but that it's consistent and believable. I think I've learned more about lighting through watching movies than examining paintings, though.

Also, I hate the built in flash on a camera, no better way to make a photo static and flat.