Pete On Art - Iss 8

Pete On Art

Creative Discoveries In Art And Spirit

 

Title: Mastering Light and Shadow in Outdoor Painting

Table of Contents:


1. Mastering Light and Shadow in Outdoor Painting
2. If I were water what would I be
3. Inspired thoughts

 

Welcome!

I hope you enjoy this issue, if you have any comments or questions please feel free to add them at the bottom. Welcome and enjoy!

1.0 Mastering Light and Shadow in Outdoor Painting

The Devon Art Society met at Stover Park for our Tuesday En-Plean Air gathering. The sun was shining presenting many opportunities for sketching and painting. Some stayed by the lakes and others found a hidden gem in a quiet corner.

There were ducks, Moorhen, and Coot, along with the ever-inquisitive squirrel and crow to keep us company.
 
I set myself up at an intersection of pathways taking advantage of the natural perspective for a focal point. I also considered the occasional walker and set up a little further back than was ideal but it still gave a satisfactory view.
 
The sun was in and out and there was a freshness to the air. When the sun was out it provided a strong composition with shadows streaking across the footpath and dappled accents throughout. The colours also came alive and were more vibrant than when we were all cast in the shade. This set the challenge for the day. How to chase the light and master light and shadow in outdoor painting.
 
With this painting I began with a white background, the tree bark was a vibrant red in the sun so I mapped out the composition using a viewing window and bright red paint. This was to prove beneficial later for increasing the vibrancy of the artwork even though a lot was later covered over.
The light and shade were captured in stages, when the sun came out to play I attempted to capture the lightest lights and define the main shapes.   The shadow areas could also be created from this structure. Achieving the correct tonal values was only possible after the lightest parts and darkest parts of the painting were set and for this I had to keep holding off for the sun to return. Patience is not one of my strong points but thankfully it did return and I was able to create a pleasing light shadow interplay.   Once all this was done I could let loose a little and play with the palette knife.  
 

Tips: 1. Observe Before Starting

Before diving into your canvas, spend time observing the light, shadows, and colours in the landscape. Notice how the sun’s position affects everything. This will give you a mental map of the transitions and changes that will happen as you paint.

2. Start with a Value Sketch or Thumbnail

A quick value sketch (using only black, white, and gray), or even a thumbnail sketch, helps establish the structure of light and dark. This will serve as a foundation when the light changes, keeping your composition grounded. Focus on the major light and shadow masses rather than fine details. 3. Be patient   Be patient and wait for the light to come back when possible.  

4. Know the Golden Hour and Time of Day

The quality of light changes dramatically based on the time of day. Early morning and late afternoon (the golden hour) provide warm, soft light, while midday light is harsher and cooler. Plan your painting sessions around these times for softer, more dramatic lighting conditions. If you know when the best colour and light is likely to be available you may be able to start a painting 30 minutes to an hour before that peak time, when the colours are at their best you will have the main foundations of the painting ready to apply the main event. These colour highlights are often fleeting and forward planning is sometimes essential.

5. Establish the Light Source Early

Lock in the direction and quality of the light early in your painting. This will ensure consistency even as the light shifts throughout your session. Always reference back to your initial observation of light direction to maintain harmony.

6. Work Fast and Stay Loose   

The light can change rapidly, especially during golden hours (early morning or late afternoon). To keep up, work quickly and avoid getting bogged down in small details. Use large brushes to block in the major shapes and values first. Capture the vibrant colour scheme as early as possible just in case the sun does not play ball.   7. Move around the painting   Get the lightest lights in when they are available and be prepared to move around the painting as and when the sun is out and shining.   8. Moving Structures   This would also be the case if you have changeable structures in the painting. For instance, if the tide may go out or come in completely changing the view. Or maybe you have an object such as a boat in the painting that is important to your composition, it may move with the tide. Sketch these in first and perhaps consider taking a photo you never know when they may move or disappear altogether.  

9. Embrace Impermanence

Don’t chase the changing light. Stick to the lighting condition you started with, or are aiming for, knowing that it will change. Trying to adjust the painting to every shift will make it look disjointed. Focus on your initial planned light and colour scheme and enhance that.

10. Simplify Your Palette

A limited colour palette (such as the primary colours) can make it easier to capture the natural light and avoid muddy colours. This forces you to focus on colour harmony and helps you mix colours quickly as the light changes. 11. Tools   Isolating the tone and colour with a grey card and a hole punched through it can often help.  

12. Use Warm and Cool Colours Strategically

Understand how light affects temperature: sunlight is warm, shadows are cooler. Capturing these temperature shifts can convey a sense of realism and atmosphere. For example, during midday, shadows might have a cooler blue tint, while the evening light casts warmer orange tones.

13. Layer for Depth and Light

Use thin layers to build up the painting. Begin with transparent washes of colour to establish the light, I use a bright yellow underpainting, or mottled pastel shades, that has fully dried for this purpose, then build up thicker, more opaque layers. This creates depth and allows the light to "shine through" in your final work, mimicking nature. Balance for freshness and avoid muddy mixes.

14. Utilize Atmospheric Perspective

Distant objects appear cooler and less detailed than those up close, due to atmospheric perspective. Use soft blues, purples, or grays in the distance and warmer, more detailed colours in the foreground to convey depth and light scattering.   As always have fun.   Gift a smile a day and watch the world smile back!

 

Bonus Tip: Practice Patience with the Weather

Outdoor conditions can change rapidly, from sun to cloud cover. Be adaptable and flexible in your process, and always have a plan to either complete your painting in sections or return to the location another day if necessary. By honing your observation skills and being strategic with your techniques, you can capture the fleeting beauty of light and colour in the outdoors.

2.0 If I Were Water What Would I Be  

If I were water what would I be

I’d be sea rolling, rising, foaming, sinking,

sand skimming, heavy, thunder clapping 

 

If I were water what would I be  

I’d be a climber, wall-scaling

higher, higher still, breaking free  

Ballerina, rising, tutu spinning hair splaying,

separation,

wind blown spray splitting

 

If I were water what would I be  

Down, falling, sinking back,

lower and lower still

resting, holding, just a moment

then, come again, again and again  

 

If I were water what would I be  

Sea, land kissing,  

That’s what I’d be!  

 

By Peter M Spencer  

Inspired by a wonderful swell at Meadfoot Beach and a super high tide Friday 20.09.24, as I rose the following morning the words flooded in and I quickly wrote before I forgot.  

Two days later at 3 in the morning I sketched the scene from memory.                  

3.0 Abundant Life and Art - Inspired Thought

  I have recently been practicing a method for opening the Akashic Records, the following is part of what I wrote during the exercise. I thought I would share it here.  

Life is abundant, we only have to open our arms and accept that that is. We walk unseen with our eyes open and our minds shut. We live with our hearts closed and senses down. When we open our hearts and minds the senses rise up and slowly we see, feel and know.  

When we take a paint brush we grapple with the mind and all the clutter that blocks our creative action. To take creative action we need to suspend thought, close our mind and open our hearts. When our senses are heightened time is lost and the creative spirit floods the room.  

 

www.petermspencer.com  

Hi! I am Pete, my goal is to bring Joy. Peace and Harmony to the world and beyond. Gift a smile a day and start a trend.

Join me here and on social media: Today  

Back to blog

Leave a comment

Please note, comments need to be approved before they are published.