The significance of light in watercolour paintings

by Tissa Hewavitarana

Light is the life of a painting. After painting outdoors artists have come to certain conclusions about how light behaves. Traditional painters usually look at light in one of two ways: The light of the sun and the light above us which is the sky. The effect of light is inter-related, like the fingers of two hands clasped tightly together. Trying to isolate each element is very difficult.

The basic light on a subject comes from two sources, the main light and the light of the sky. The main light is directly influenced by the sun or an electric bulb. On an average sunny day the sun light naturally takes on a warm colouration.

Getting ready for the catch.

On a clear day, the colour of the sky touches all the top planes and is seen everywhere in a painting. Snow being white shows the effect of the sun but also on the flat planes, as they recede into the distance. The cool light of the sky may touch everything that is not directly affected by the light of the sun.

Landscape

The sunlight is distributed evenly over the landscape. In a landscape, the dust and moisture in the air accumulate to form what the great painter John F. Cardson calls, "The veils of atmosphere," the cause of what is commonly known as "atmospheric perspective."

When we talk about an object moving away in the light, we refer to the amount of atmosphere between the viewer and the sunlit object and the distance between the source of light (a spot light) and the object it influences.

The term "turning from the light" on the other hand, is applicable primarily to curved surfaces exposed to light. The sun comes up and lightens the sky. With luminous light it illuminates the earth's surface. Depending on the nature of the day, reflected light can be either a very important part of your picture or a quite negligible one. The strong light of a clear day, for example, reflects colour into everything.

At a beach the brilliant sun bounces off the sand into surrounding areas. On a dull day however, such effects are more subtle, and the reflected light is much harder to see. Observe the painting here titled "Getting ready for the catch." There is a perfect blend of colours relating to light. It's a sunny day and the clouds become brighter and flatter as they appear in the horizon. Warm blues bring the foreground sky closer. Here the simplicity is the key note.

Dark tones

Notice the sea in the painting. The water and waves are painted with strong light and dark tones. Transparent glazes are applied to build depth of tone. As you keep on practising you will gain knowledge why watercolour is a perfect medium for catching effects of light. It's a medium that's fresh and responsive to the moment and the shifting moods of nature.

It transforms your imagination to reality. The one element in painting that has remained constant throughout the ages, however, has been light. This is one component of painting we cannot do without. We need light to paint.