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Tutorial 93 - Cool Light, Cool Shadows
🕑 Added 2016-04-03 18:07:54 +0000 UTC "Warm light cool shadows, cool light warm shadows" teachingMost painters are familiar with this teaching. However, a warm or cool primary light source will not always cause shadows to take on a complementary hue. What if our ambient light is the same or similar hue? That hue will still make it into the shadows.
Though in general, it’s favourable to create images that at least feel like there is a color temperature balance (some words on balance in tutorial 81: (https://www.patreon.com/posts/4866363).
Color Temperature
Skillful use of color temperature will give the viewer a believable sense of realism. Though the warm-cool feeling doesn’t have to be complementary. It's quite possible to create a convincing image with a functioning analogous color scheme that appears to have a slight temperature shift, as illustrated.
See tutorial 84 (https://www.patreon.com/posts/4886952) for more on analogous color.
Temperature is relative
Relatively speaking, one of two hues presented in a painting will be cooler or warmer feeling than the other, even though they might both be consider cool blue, in general terms.
See tutorial 79 (https://www.patreon.com/posts/4861169) and tutorial 82 (https://www.patreon.com/posts/4904307) for a bit more on color relativity.
Monochrome Color Scheme
Without any hue shift, we'll arrive at a monochrome color scheme, though we still have some flexibility with lightness (value) and saturation (intensity). In the smaller illustration, the ball is a more saturated, brighter cyan than anywhere else in the image.
Tonal
If we lose the saturation control and stay with a single saturation value throughout our image then our scheme is purely tonal, ranging only in value. Value range is the least we need to communicate tone in an image.
Comments
really useful thank you!
The ambient light is the bounced light, yes. But don't forget a lot of light is scattered from the atmosphere (blue on Earth) too. That's why on a sunny day the shadows have the subtle blueish tint.
MrPloxy
If my only light source is the sunlight will it be considered as ambient light? Wait, im thinking, probably my light source is the Sunlight, and ambient light is the light bouncing from other objects..? If that's it then My Brain just got a very nice Treat.
