Backgrounds

[Alexandra Tyng]

At the suggestion of a forum member, I'm starting a thread on backgrounds.

I've often heard the comment, "I'm never sure what do do with the background," as though the background were a separate entity from the figure. I've seen lots of portraits in which the figure seems cut out and pasted on the ground, as though the background were a separate plane behind the figure.

The most important thing to keep in mind about backgrounds is that they are not actually separate from the figure. The background sets off the figure, and in this sense forms the "ground," but it is actually the air around the figure. It is three-dimensional space! It envelops the figure, surrounds it on all sides, and recedes from the picture plane to varying degrees.

Whether the background is plain or complex, the same principles hold true. The figure emerges from the ground. It is not in front of the ground.

The key to achieving the illusion of "emergence" is to understand the roundness of the head (or figure) and the colors of the light in relation to the shadow. The side of the face in direct light gives the feeling of solidity and opacity. As the form turns away from the direct light, it picks up the indirect light or ambient light in the atmosphere. This indirect light is slightly redder than direct light. Crossing over the line into the shadow areas, the complement of the indirect light will predominate. This is the color of the shadow. But some of the complement (or color of the indirect light) exists within the shadow because it is the color of the space or air around the figure. Conversely, there is a tiny bit of shadow color in the midtones or areas of indirect light.

If the shadow planes of the head are painted using some of the color of the background, the figure will appear to recede into space. It follows that a simple "background" can consist of a mixture of the shadow color and the color of the indirect light.

I've posted two Sargent paintings. The first is a Venice interior with two figures in it. The figures are integrated into the space because Sargent has used a limited palette with similar colors in the space and the shadow areas of the figures. Only the light areas stand out and establish the solidity of the form.

This is no different, really, than the way Sargent handled this very simple self-portrait. The shadow side of the face is painted in a color similar to the background, so he seems to emerge from the background and become a solid entity through the definition of the light side of his head and jacket.

Does anyone have anything to add? Please feel free to diagree--I'm not claiming to be the authority on backgrounds. Also it would be helpful to see more images.