FREE online courses on the Art Appreciation Basics - Analyzing the subject
of a painting - Light and Color
It seems simple, but look at the
colors in works of art. Are they bright? Muted? Are they all similar or does it
look like Walt Disney threw up? And what about the light? Where is the source
light? Is it sunlight? Candlelight? Headlights? How does the light affect the
mood?
The way that color and light come
together is a big part of many works of art. The thing to keep in mind as you're
looking at this stuff is that it's not a photograph (unless, of course, you're
looking at a photograph). Thus, every color, shadow, and highlight had to be put
there by hand. Did they do a good job? With experience you'll be able to
confidently judge. Or confidently fake it, which is what most art-types do
anyway.
