Color and Light - Surfaces and Effects Chapter 9

SURFACES AND EFFECTS

TRANSMITTED LIGHT

• When sunlight travels through a thin, semitransparent material, the light becomes reichly colored

SUBSURFACE SCATTERING 

• light enters the skin or any translucent material and spreads out beneath the surface, creating a glow 

COLOR ZONES OF THE FACE 

• Complexion of a light skin face divides into three zones 
• forehead is light golden 
• the brow to bottom of nose is reddish 
• the bottom of nose to bottom of chin is bluish 

THE HAIR SECRET 

• use big brushes 
• blend where it meets the forehead 
• soften edges 
• control and design highlights 
• keep masses simple 
• think ribbons 
  

SPECULAR REFLECTIONS

• objects with a shiny surface are like mirrors.  It reflects images of whatever is around it 
• specular reflection has light rays that bounce off the surface at the same angle they approached it 
• diffuse reflection matte surface 

HIGHLIGHTS

• specular reflections on wet or shiny surfaces 
• perpendicular to the light 
• not pure white

COLOR CORONA 

• when an extremely bright source such as a setting sun or streetlight is surrounded by a region of colorful light 
• lens flare 

MOTION BLUR

• blurring to suggest rapid movement 

PHOTOS VS OBSERVATION 

• references are good but paint from observation to best record color