Colors in artificial lighting
 

Inspired by the very technical information on artificial lighting, I would like to contribute with a, hopefully, very simple question on how artificial lighting affects our perception of color.

The setup is: A photo in color to be painted in a warm (orange) light.
All the colors will be more or less orange, but you paint it as you see it. The following day you take it out into the cold (blue) daylight. Would the colors, on the canvas, not have the same relative values as on the photo? I think so.

I normally paint my portraits in the daytime, from live or photo, so I have never really paid attention to the problem before.

But after thinking about it most of the day, I have come to this conclusion:
If painting a LIVE portrait then there vil be a problem about how the colored light "colors" the skin. You will see the exposed side as orange and the shadows as brown.

The following day, in the daylight, you will still see the colors as orange and brown although they are colder.

Besides the fact that it is tiring to work in bad light, you don

Metamerism
 

Allan,

I do have trouble jumping between artficial light and daylight, when painting from a photo reference. This is because I am using photographic prints from the best inkjet printing technology available to me (Epson Stylus Photo 2200), and just like all other inkjet prints, they have a visual phenomenon of colors shifting in hue, depending on the source of light. This is known as Metamerism.

In general, prints will appear greener in daylight and redder in artficial light. I use a RIP by ImagePrint (raster image processor) with my 2200, and it greatly improves the printer output. This RIP software gives me the option of optimising the print for viewing in either daylight, tungsten light , or two choices of fluorescent light (cool white fluorescent, or high-color-rendering flourescent).

So if I want to paint from a photo reference in daylight, the RIP will adjust the colors in the print for daylight, and if I want to work in artificial light, the RIP will adjust the print for viewing in that light. There is a big difference to me, and I may paint wrong colors if I am using the reference photo print in the wrong light.

Hi Garth

I see what you mean, it

I love this machine. I just went inn to correct my terrible spelling - but it was already done, thanks.

Allan

"Inspired by the very technical information on artificial lighting, I would like to contribute with a, hopefully, very simple question on how artificial lighting affects our perception of color."
Hi Allan
When I use pastels, I'm very carefull to avoid yellows,becouse artificial light have a yellow component. Otherwise the next day in a daylight the painting would be full of yellow tones,unbearable to see.
Ciao
Adriano

I don't know, Allan! I tend to avoid painting at all in artificial light because I can't really see the colors well enough. I know exactly what you're saying/asking, and I've often pondered it myself, and it short-circuits my brain every time :exclamati

I try to keep painting to daylight hours too. . . especially for skin tones!

Hi Adriano,
When we paint in yellow artificial light all the colors will be affected by the light.

The reason that we can see colors at all is that things, and skin, reflects the light that shines on them. In full spectrum daylight you will see a green apple as a green apple, right?

What happens if you paint the green apple in a yellow studio light ?
Two things will happen. Because that the color balance of the light source is weighted toward yellow and therefore contains less red and blue, the green apple will appear more yellowish green and relatively lighter in value than if it was seen in full spectrum daylight.

But it is not only the color that changes when the light is out of balance, it is also the amount of light that is unbalanced. So if you see something that is multicolored, you will see the yellows as lighter than they are and the red / blue as darker than they are.

Allan

Alex,
Daylight is so much stronger than artificial light and playful and inspiring ;)

Allan

Hi allan
what you 've said is perfecly right
The only mistake I would be worried about,when looking the day after in a daylight, is that the painting would'nt show a strong yellow colour. For this reason I use a daylight lamp (a blue one) or I avoid previously cadmium deep yellow from my box.
Ciao
Adriano :)

You have said it so well Allan.

That is why I prefer daylight and working as much as possible from life. Artificial light is just that, artificial and unmoving.

Though I know for many people in portraiture it is difficult to totally ditch the photograph, there is nothing like working totally from life in daylight. Since I work in south east light, there are constant surprises, gleams of light and color that sometimes take my breath away.The painting, unlike working from a photograph, is in constant flux, it is thank heavens, quite different than I imagined it would be.

I can only able make mud in artificial light, which is too bad because I was rather a night-owl and had to reform.

Allan, I hope your studio and home is fixed soon so you can get back to painting. As a victim of two fires in her life, I know just how disrupting that can be.

Thanks Sharon,
my house is recovering fast now and we moved in just before the weekend, the only things remaining indoor are two rooms upstairs where I have

Hi Allan
Your way to paint is very nice indeed!!
..just a curiosity...the window shadows are painted?
Ciao

Allan,

What a stunning and original painting!

It is so intense and the compostion is fabulous.

I am going to stop blabbering so I can go back and look at it!

Wow! Gorgeous. Looks like you have the lighting well under control to me:)

Sorry but I have to disappoint you all. It was the sun, from the window, that made this rather fascinating composition. ;)

Allan

I love this painting, too, and I am so glad you are going to finish it! Sharon, if you want to see more of it, look in WIP. It is fabulous.

It's terrible how direct sunlight falling on a painting has the effect of destroying the mystery of the illusion. I am always shocked to see how mine look with the sun falling on them. I guess that's why artists prefer to paint in indirect light.

That's wonderful news about your house being almost finished!

:oops:

I went to the WIP section. I remember I liked it there. It is STILL a stunning painting. Your paint handling is enviable.

Although, sometimes serendipity takes us to new and uncharted waters.

One day years ago, my punky little model showed up with green bangs. I was in the early throes of my ersatz Degas days and I was really put out. I had envisioned a luminous beauty and wound up having to paint a contemporary little snot. I decided I LIKED the green hair, and ended up putting various colored wigs on my models. My paintings no longer look like pretentious Degas wannbees, but more like my own and are more fun to do.

I too am having a great deal of troubles painting in artificial lighting. I've tried various palette colours to accommodate lighting, the example was painted from life in front of a mirror. I have an overhead light to light my palette and another lamp to light my face. But it just seems so dark and photographing it is just as challenging. What am I doing wrong?

I do opologise Allan for posting my pic, I didnt mean to intrude on your post.