"Monica"

[Gisele Zeitler]

Chris,

I'm really curious about the natural phenomenon that makes this happen. I know that the sky is always more blue overhead than near the horizon, so my inclination would have been to make these "sky holes" light, since they are exposing a part of the sky that's low (near the horizon). The darkness, or blueness (is there such a term?), to which you refer, does it occur because of the surrounding vegetation? Would it be the same if it wasn't vegetation, if one was seeing sky through fence holes, say? Is it because a smaller amount of light is coming through? Does darker equal bluer? I want to know because this is a very important concept. I'm sure this won't be the only time in my life I'll be confronted with this situation, and I never would have known to make the sky darker/bluer in those sky holes.

Thanks again, Chris, and I'm really dying to know the reason.

[Chris Saper]

Gisele,

I am definitely not a landscape painter. However, I can offer some information from John E. Carlson, "Carlson's Guide to Landscape Painting", page 57:

if one were to hold up a piece of mosquito netting against a light surface (the sky) it would be noticed that when viewed from a distance of fifteen feet the actual warp and woof of the netting is not visible, but instead the whole piece looks like a flat light-grey mass, darker as whole than the sky. This is caused by the phenomenon...that of darks losing their intensity when put against a light, and the new phenomenon of the light losing its brilliance when filtered through a dark mass.

We shall now consider the light of the sky as it touches the edge of the trees, or comes in through it in more or less different sized "holes." These holes vary in value according to their size and the consequent amount of light they admit through them.

Logically, the smaller the "hole," the less quantity of light admitted; therefore the smaller the hole, the darker or greyer it is in value

I can't speak to the optics involved, only that this is a matter of observation. In the case of your painting, the light you see in the photo has more to do with the value clumping problem of film than it would if you were painting the scene from life. The sky holes in your hedge need to be darker than you show them, but still light enough to read as sky through the hedge. They need color, so you would want to consider a greyed-down blue, of a temperature you need to decide.

I have used this same principle in painting hair, where bits of background show through. The "holes" in the hair get a darker, greyed-down version of the surrounding background color.

Although Carlson's book is on landscape, every portrait painter should read it too, since it is overall, a book about observation.

[Tom Martinez]

As to the optics involved, I will attempt the rationale behind the deepening of the color, not much, but, a shade or two darker. The suns rays striking the particles in the air causes the atmospheric disturbance which changes the color of what you are visualizing. Those images in the distance are dim and blurred. Those images that are closer to the viewer are more sharp and colorful. So, when the tree shades those air particles between the viewer and the object being viewed, there is less atmospheric disturbance to distort what is being seen. Therefore, it will appear a shade or two more pronounced than that which is seen on the perimeter of the object being viewed. This is pretty general but does it make any sense?

Chris, thanks for the tip on the book. I'll have to spend my life's savings and get one.

[Gisele Zeitler]

This is fascinating stuff! I never cease to marvel that life keeps presenting one with new opportunities for learning. I never knew this! And it seems like a kind of important thing for an artist to know!

Before sitting down to write a response I ordered "Carlson's Book of Landscape Painting," as well as your book, Chris. So many people have raved about it, that I intended to do so for some time anyway. I thank you for this important information.

Thank you, also, Tom, for your insights. You've both been very helpful.

[Gisele Zeitler]

The books have arrived, and I've spent hours perusing them. There is no doubt that "Carlson's Guide to Landscape Painting" will serve to enlighten me for many years. Thank you for recommending it, Chris. And, I think I've read your book, "Painting Beautiful Skin Tones with Color & Light" twice by now. After reading it once through, I keep going back and forth for specific information.

The painting workshops I attended in Woodstock, NY recently, had already introduced me to a complementary palette; your book supports and confirms what I learned. On the whole, there is so much excellent information, and many useful demonstrations, that I would advise any portrait painter to have a copy of it in their library.