HOW TO PAINT LIGHT
I teach students how to paint and draw light. I am also a lighting specialist. My fascination with light encompasses, not only the commercial, retailing aspect, but the artistic as well. Once drawing and painting skills are developed to the point where students can accurately put down what they see, creating light and shadow is studied and faithfully delineated subject matter emerges in a world of space and volume.
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LEARNING TO SEE
Basically, the depiction of light and shadow is accomplished by using dark and light colors in painting and tonal gradations in drawing. For a beginning student this often requires some visual skills.. First, I tell the student it is necessary to convert what they see to a two-dimensional vision that they can translate to a two-dimensional surface like a canvas or a sketchbook page.
POWERFUL GRIDS
Seeing objects two-dimensionally can be done in several ways. The easiest (and most time-tested) is to construct a grid in front of the subject matter--that could be actual objects, a photo or a picture. This can be done most simply by holding a pencil vertically and horizontally against the viewed objects, comparing their shapes to the vertical and horizontal lines of the pencil.
Another time-tested method is to literally construct a grid on plate glass or Plexiglas and place that grid in front of the objects. Now the viewed objects are intersected by many squares (depending on how large or small the squares in the grid are.) Each quadrant (square) of the grid can then be painted or drawn independently and upon completing the entire grid, the composition of objects is finished to compose an accurate picture of the objects.
Light and shadow are more easily discerned and created with this grid method. How objects are illuminated can be defined on paper or canvas by observing and re-creating light and shadow at play in each quadrant. In accomplishing this by shading and highlighting, illumination and therefore, volume is created, the illusion of the three-dimensional space is created, reborn on a two-dimensional surface.
EARLY LINE AND COLOR
Accuracy, as well as light and shadow were not always the motivation behind depicting artful images. Before the Renaissance, art works in Europe depicted objects ( figures, landscapes, buildings) in a flat space. There was no light and shadow. Figures were delineated and colored in a style much like a coloring book. These images translated well to stained glass windows and mosaics. Their simplicity of line and color contributed to the strength of the iconography, often of religious significance.
EARTHLY LIGHT
With the discovery of perspective, space and volume became important to artists as well as the depiction of light and shadow. Symbolic icons and images described by line gave way to depictions of illuminated space. In perspective, objects recede and advance in a two-dimensional space that is totally visually believable. To augment the receding and advancing figures with directional light and shadow completed the believability, creating a world the eye could explore as a simulated, illuminated three-dimensional environment.
GOLD LEAF TO EARTHLY LIGHT
Spiritual light, the vehicle of infinity was often expressed with the use of gold leaf in Medieval altarpieces. The warm, glowing, reflective surface behind religious figures imbued the work with a rich and reassuring statement-the glory of heaven and God's power. A more earthly light replaced gold leaf in the Renaissance. Spiritual figures were bathed in sunlight and swathed in shadow. The light that illuminated the humble shepherds was the same light that shone on Jesus and his followers.
REPEATING HISTORY
It is interesting to me that the journey a beginning drawing or painting student takes often replicates the historical transition from the Medieval use of line and color-in style to the Renaissance application of illuminated space and volume. And, with more advanced students, their journey often continues to repeat the contemporary return to line and color-in, the preference for depicting flat, shallow space and solid color.
I find this reassuring. The art world is wide open, brimming with many styles, images, materials and skills. For today's artist, everything is available, to use towards a creative purpose. All of history as well as the latest technological/digital images convert tiff to jpg are ready to be researched and developed.
What do you mean by application program?
An application program refers to those computer programs that utilize the capacity of computer to perform specific task. These applications are programmed to perform specific tasks. They aim at maneuvering images, text and numbers as per the instructions or programming. There are various types of application program designed to ease the work process of computer users. A user is able to exercise flexibility and perform any task proficiently. One is able to manipulate multimedia elements, word processing or spreadsheet programs. A user can efficiently deploy these applications to organize and manage information.
Different types of Applications:
There are several types of applications utilized to make the task of a user easy and smooth. A computer user can exercise a number of functions using these applications. A person can present and manage information competently and proficiently. Following are the main applications with different functions:
Database application: This kind of computer program enables a user to collect and organize the data or information. It equips a user to store and retrieve data at any time and for any purpose. For instance, this application is useful for archiving or storing information in online library.
Spreadsheet application: This program enables a user to perform mathematical calculations. These applications exhibit a grid containing multiple cells. A good example is Microsoft Excel that embeds various formulae.
Multimedia application: This application equips a user to deploy multimedia elements like audio and video. You can use animation and other graphics to make your document attractive and professional.
Word Processing application: This application is able to edit and create documents in various formats. These formats are PDF, Word, Notepad and other text editors. They also have conversion ability with which you can convert a file from one format to another. For example, you can convert PDF to Word or back from Word to PDF.
These applications are used in commercial and non-commercial organizations to deliver high quality output. They are also deployed by educational or health care institutions. Individuals deploy the programs at homes for personal uses. The beneficial features of various types of applications make them flexible for any type of purpose.