How pigments work, and some of their practical problems.
painting
Images of the remarkable Lily Crucifix in Godshill Parish Church, Isle of Wight, which was spared removal during the Reformation. It dates from the early Renaissance, c 1450.
Ask which were the first landscape paintings in Western art, and most would suggest works of Dürer, Albrecht Altdorfer, or Joachim Patinir. But they were actually very late compared to frescoes of the Cycladic civilisation, some three millenia before.
Chroma is hard to separate from lightness. An important painting point is that mixing paints cannot increase chroma. Instead it tends to reduce it towards muddy grey.
A distinctive presumed self-portrait of this exceptional woman painter, cropped close, from an unusual viewpoint, using chiaroscuro, colour, and the most amazing fabric textures.
“The Cambridge History of Painting in the Classical World” edited by JJ Pollitt Cambridge, March/April 2015 Hardback, 22.5 […]
Although lightness and chroma can usually be approached successfully using methodical approaches, long experience has shown that hue is much more hit or miss. Developing a good ‘eye’ for colours is generally much more important.
A beautifully lit painting showing a woman servant preparing food, within which is a still life of bread and pots, contrasting their textures and glistening glaze. Vermeer painted it like no one else could – absolutely and exquisitely.
A hauntingly beautiful portrait of a young adult woman lost in quiet thought, made to fit on her mummy. Was she contemplating her eventual death?
Lightness is key to the depiction of materials, textures, edges, and form. Illusions can confound the viewer, and it is vital to map the lightness of your motif to that of your painting.
The Eclectic Light Company 