Landscape light in watercolour

by Tissa Hewavitarane

Light is the life of a painting whatever medium you paint. Watercolour, therefore, is the ideal medium that is fresh, alive and responsive to the moment and shifting moods of nature. As we have observed, nature is always changing and we as painters must study and paint each colour and value carefully and accordingly. The earth depends on the value and the colours of the sky.

We must always be aware of the effect that light has on our painting. Depending on the nature of the day, reflected light can be a very important part of your picture. The strong light of a clear day, for example, reflects colour into every thing.

At a beach, the brilliant sun bounces light off the sand into the surrounding darks obliterating them. On a very dull day, however, such effects are more subtle, the reflected light is much harder to see.

Middle values

The arrangement of values is very common. It is a clean, clear and dramatic presentation of any subject. Most traditional landscapes feature a light and middle value sky against a darker shape of the land. More contemporary examples in water colour include fish of Joseph Raffeel and the nudes of Charles. Reid.

Do not confine yourself to use this value design when appears to be the only and obvious choice. If you ascertain that a dark shape would be better expressed as if light and middle value shape, then by all means do it.

The flopping of light, middle and dark values is a fundamental part of your design vocabulary and should be used liberally. Transposing values is a simple procedure. What is offered as a dark shape made of middle and dark values is transposed into a shape in which what had been middle value is now light, and what had been dark is now middle.

Just as outrageous colours sometimes prove the best so also the alternative value organisations.

Dark and light value

On three basic value organisations offered, this option is potentially the most dramatic and also the most difficult. Dramatic because of the strong contrast that happens on the major subject matter. Difficult because of the strong contrast can fracture the subject into two unrelated shapes.

When the contrast between the light value the focal point and the middle value of the background are too close, the light value and the middle value of the background are also too close, the light value and the middle value join, and the dark shape is isolated. In other words, the light and middle become shape stands alone.

The same problem occurs when the dark and middle values get close. The critical factor is the values that surround the focal point. The light is too dark and they won't work. Objects in direct strong sunlight are frequently defined as light and dark against middle values is a white in sunlight.

The white in sunlight is lighter than the sky and the white in shadow is darker than the sky. Once you decide to use the patterns, you must remain consistent. It's easy to get confused by local colour and find yourself vacillating between patterns at one time painting the shadow of the house darker than the sky and out other times lighter than the sky.

There seems to be a belief that if a paint matches each colour exactly as seen reality will be the result. Nothing could be further from the truth. Observe the painting I have done the sun about to set. If you see the colour of light, which exist and only colour which emerged is mainly red.

Expressive colours

To express my view on a sunset scene, the sky at sunset takes on a radiant glow. Notice the colours used the warm pink of the setting sun with cool bluish purple colour gradiantly to the strong tones. I have used subtle modulation of colour texture and tone to create a lively impression of the sea shore adding a fisherman's hut and few cock birds picking food.

Dark tones

To make the picture more live two figures in dark tones chatting inside the hut. The trees gives a more rich look to improve the quality of the picture. I felt the best way to describe the sunset with strong light using pure clear transparent pigments thus increasing the impression of light and luminosity.

A light wash indicates the fisherman's hut. Remember colour is an equal and essential partner in portraying light. It is not enough to squint your eyes and see only values. You must look into the shadows and identify the colours that are there.

Do not look for formula or short cuts to tell what colours to be used. Shadows should be or always are. Look for the warm colours in the shade and cools in sunlight. It takes some practice to allow your eyes to see shapes, values and colours.

Absorbent and reflective surface can coll the eyes from seeing light and shade.

The value relationship of light and shade can be altered to create desired effects.

Do not allow your brain to blind your eyes.