The Oil Painter's Bible - chapter 5
light into shadow areas. The color of the secondary light source affects the color of the shadows. The
color of nearby surfaces, which reflect light into shadows, is also cast into the shadows as an inseparable
component of the reflected light. The body color of the shadowed surface is also an influence; however,
its chroma will be lower (duller) than in the middletone for the same reason that its value is lower
(darker). The reason is that there is not enough light in the shadow to reveal the body color at its full
intensity.
The strongest influence on the color in shadow is usually the color of a secondary light source. The
best example is an outdoor scene on a sunny day. The main light source is direct sun, which is slightly
yellowish. The secondary light source is the sky, which is blue. The color of the sky will be the strongest
color influence, other than the body color of each surface, in all areas facing it not lit by direct sunlight.
The sun's rays, striking directly, are so much stronger than the light of the secondary source (the sky) as to
effectively overcome the color influence of the sky in those areas, replacing it in the highlights with its
own color plus white. In other words, direct sunlight "eats" the blue. When a cloud obscures the sun, the
sky becomes the primary light source, and its color, blue, becomes an influence in the lighted areas, until
the cloud moves away and allows the direct rays of the sun to again eat the blue. All areas then in shadow
retain the blue influence of the sky, except where the light from the sky cannot reach. In those areas,
reflected color will have a stronger influence. For example, the underside of an object surrounded by a
green lawn will register a certain amount of green in the shadow areas, whereas the upward-facing areas
in shadow will register the blue of the sky. The green is carried with the light from the sun as it bounces
off the lawn, reflecting into nearby surfaces. If the object has no color of its own, such as a white or grey
statue, this will be more apparent. If the object has its own body color, it will be influenced by the color of
the secondary light, but not replaced by it.
After the student has been exposed to these principles, they will become more obvious, as he or she
will be on the lookout for them. This is an important step toward becoming an artist. Once the Principles
of Visual Reality are completely understood, the artist is freed from dependence on external sources.
Nothing the imagination can conjure up will be beyond the artist's ability to depict on canvas. This in
itself is still no guarantee, however, that an artist so equipped will be a Master, as he or she must also have
something of interest to say. Inspiration is an individual thing that cannot be taught. One finds inspiration
on one's own. However, all the inspiration in the world will not help, if the inspired person lacks the
vocabulary to express it. An understanding of the Principles of Visual Reality is an extremely important
part of that vocabulary.
Detail from "The Songstress" by Virgil Elliott
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