Here's a little rule of thumb–and this is just a rule of thumb, not written in stone or anything– if your center of interest is in light, keep the shadows very simple. If your center of interest is in the shadow, keep the lit areas very simple.
The sketch on the left is light dominant; all the action and subtleties happen in light, and nothing happens in shadow. The sketch on the right is shadow dominant. The good stuff happen in shadow, and the lit areas are kept very simple, devoid of any modeling.
Whether the center of interest is in light or shadow is a decision you need to make before you start the painting, and you have to stick with it. Sure, there are times when we see really interesting shapes or colors or patterns or whathaveyou both in light and shadow, but it's up to you to decide which should be dominant and which should be subordinate.
3 comments:
Thanks! Sometimes the simplest statements make the most impact. I will deffinately remember this tip.
Dear Terry,
Thanks for this excellent tip. I will surely try to imbibe it into my work. I believe it should be equally useful with landscape subjects as with figures.
Best wishes,
Vinayak
Terry, Yes. I agree with Maria. The longer I am at it the more I am drawn to the simple motif. This is a very good tip, especially for those of us who are striving for a new level of appeal in our paintings.
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