Elements of Light

Light is the most important consideration in creating any picture. Any subject can be exciting or mundane, depending on how you light it. Light is what makes our perception of all things possible.

Value, form, texture, color, depth, and movement are the six basic elements of design. They are the control knobs that allow you to tune the light to suit your perception and taste. When you learn to control all of these elements, you can make the ordinary appear extraordinary. The way an artist manipulates, combines, compares, and contrasts the elements of light makes each artist and each painting unique.


Neon Rain
Paul Jackson

Light's Characteristics

There is no greater element in any painting than the light that illuminates it.

Light affects every aspect of the painting process and is essential to all of our visual experiences. Light is a kind of energy that makes things happen. It makes things visible and colorful. It has incredible descriptive power, determines, shape, models form, reveals color and defines texture. It is a painter's primary tool for directing the attention of the viewer and for unifying and intensifying the subject matter.

The many complex personalities of light help determine the mood and character of your subject. An awareness of light and its subtle qualities and moods is crucial to those who aspire to make dramatic paintings.

Light is the elusive element that separates the magical from the mediocre.


Sundance
Paul Jackson