The Artist_s Magazine 2016-03__

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TOP: Whale Branch River (detail, acrylic on canvas, 39x44)

by Kevin T. Kelly from the September 2015 issue

should the easel be to the south

so the north light comes over the

artist’s shoulder?

Elaine Davis, Missoula, Mont.

A. h e easel should be placed at an

intermediate angle to the light, nei-

ther perpendicular nor parallel to

the window (See schematic, page

61). Placing it perpendicular to the

window will give you raking light

that reveals the surface texture of the

painting but makes properly seeing

the image impossible. If the easel

is parallel to the window, the art-

ist may cast a shadow on the image;

glare will also be a problem when

working in oil.

Your subject (setup or model)

should face the easel. h at will illu-

minate the subject with light that falls

from the side, from above and from

the front. Set up your subject after

organizing the lighting conditions

and easel position so you can choose

exactly what you want to depict.

A north-lit window should be

large enough to evenly illuminate

the three key work areas: the easel,

the palette and the subject. h e light

on your palette should match that on

your painting—and on your subject,

too. If you paint by daylight, then

you’ll want daylight on your subject.

Orient yourself so you won’t be

looking across your painting arm

when viewing your subject. For a

right-handed artist, the line of sight

to the subject will be on the artist’s

left; the easel will be on the artist’s

right. h at position improves observa-

tion and reduces fatigue. h e palette

is then held in the left hand so it gets

the full light from the window. If

holding a palette is uncomfortable for

you, then attach your palette to the

front of your easel below your paint-

ing. Positioning the palette in either

of these ways assures that both palette

and painting receive the same light. ■

SHELDON TAPLEY is the Stodghill professor

of art at Centre College (Danville, Ky.), where

he teaches painting and drawing.

Learn More ONLINE

To see the May 2012 feature article on

Sheldon Tapley’s work, go to artistsnet

work.com/learnmore2016.

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