The Lesson of Rembrandt's Nose

[Steven Sweeney]

This might have gone in Art Quotes or Tips and Techniques, but the import is color temperature and its manipulation, so I

[Julie Deane]

Hi Steven -

I was just reading about this! Actually, it was more like paint/read/paint using Speed's book as my bible.

By Speed's book, I mean Harold Speed's "Oil Painting Techniques and Materials". Of course, I know you know this: I believe you have mentioned his book several times. But for those who don't know this excellent book, here is a quote:

"Do not forget that if you are painting a darker tone over a lighter, the tendency will be for the edge, where the paint is thin enough to show the undertone through it, to be warmer. And that when you are painting a lighter tone over a darker, the tendency will be the other way and for the edge to be colder. This is a very important thing to bear in mind, and governs the consideration of how your tones should overlap each other....Such things as the nostril, as it comes against the cheek usually have a warm edge and are best pairted dark over light. The edge where the hair comes against the face is another important edge that is often alternately warm and cold. It is usually cold at the side of the frontal bone, where the growth of the hair merges into the flesh and warm where a mass of hair overhangs; such as one sometimes gets on the brow. When the cold edge is wanted it can be got by painting the flesh tones over the general lay-in of the hair; and when a warm edge is wanted it can be got by painting the darker hair tone over the flesh."

I'd strongly recommend this book for any artist who works in oils.

[Joan Breckwoldt]

Thank you Steven for posting this information, this is a book I'm not familiar with. But I'm confused about this part from the book:

[QUOTE=Steven Sweeney]All colors look cool over dark, even red and yellow; all colors look warm over light, even blue. [ QUOTE]

What if I'm painting an underpainting and the shadow side is naturally darker. If my subject is in natural light (cool light) then my shadow should be warm. Am I to understand that no matter what I paint over the dark of my underpainting on the shadow side that my shadow will be cool? How can this be? I'm equally confused about the "all colors look warm over light" because the light side of my model would be in the cool light.

I suppose I must be missing something but I am perplexed by this!

thanks,

Joan

[Allan Rahbek]

Originally Posted by Joan Breckwoldt

Am I to understand that no matter what I paint over the dark of my underpainting on the shadow side that my shadow will be cool? How can this be?

I suppose I must be missing something but I am perplexed by this!

thanks,

Joan

This is correct as long as you paint glazes or semi transparent colors over dark underpainting.

If you want to chance any parts you can use opaque paint or even glaze with warmer color.

Allan