Light, Value and Texture

One of the hardest challenges for any artist is the use of light, particularly when it comes to reflections and shadows. The way light interacts with a surface also allows us to perceive texture, as an artist I must try to emulate these textures and for that I must understand how the light is interacting with the substance I am attempting to emulate. 

  

The work of Turner is renowned for his use and understanding of natural light to produce natural shadows. The piece above (Peace-Burial at Sea, Turner, 1842) is an excellent example of this. The shadows cast by the boat from the cloudy sky but also the reflection in the water of the fire and how it is used to draw the viewer's eye to the boat. 

This (Finquelstein, I, Relighting - Reflections Demo, 2020) is some 3D model work that shows an excellent use of light, there are many complex reflections from the wet floor to the reflection of the light on the tiles. As this is 3D work the lighting may have been quite easy to produce but it is still a useful example of how light reacts to different surfaces in a relatively low lit area.

I attempted to produce some work to improve my own texturing of surfaces.

Generally I believe some improvements need to be made, I think I need to work on producing an even tone to create a nicer effect and then build up that even tone into darker layers. The mask in the bottom left corner of the first page was meant to have a metallic effect but I was not able to do so, I believe I need to utilise negative space and implied lines more for things with a metallic texture. The second page are the beginnings of a rose, I am quite happy with this as the individual petals are quite even and there are plenty of shadows for where the petals fold into each other.

Bibliography

Finquelstein, I. 2020. Relighting - Reflections Demo. [online] ArtStation. Available at: https://www.artstation.com/artwork/68LKOr

Turner, J MW. 1842. Peace-Burial at Sea [Oil Paint on Canvas] Tate, London.