Art Appreciation
Chapter 6 Notes (2012)
“Light and Color”
atmospheric perspective – objects
appear less distinct, blue/gray, cooler,
with reduced contrast (blurry or fuzzy) at
great distances
chiaroscuro – gradual transitions of key
(light and dark), or color produces
modeling
modeling – creates the illusion of 3D
form (with light)
hatching –
cross-hatching –
value (or key) – lightness or darkness
of a color or picture
primary colors – red, yellow, and blue
secondary colors – orange, green, and
violet
intermediate colors – (tertiary)
admixture of a primary and a secondary
analogous colors – neighbors on the
color wheel, they share a color (for
instance: analogous colors yellow and
green both contain yellow)
color temperature – Cool colors look
like water. Warm colors look like fire.
complementary colors – opposite on
the color wheel
simultaneous contrast –
Complementary colors appear brighter
when placed next to each other.
polychromatic – many hues (colors)
and keys
local color – the actual hue as seen
with the eye or with a camera (for
instance: blue sky, green grass, brown
tree trunk, etc.)
arbitrary color – no realistic relation to
the object (for instance: brown sky, red
grass, and purple tree trunk)
optical color mixing – dots of pure
color next to each other , unmodeled
color, see Figs. 147 and 148 (Seurat)
look very closely. It is nothing but dots of
paint. TVs, computers, and even crossstitch use optical mixing too!
SLIDES:
Fig. 6-3 da Vinci, Madonna of the Rocks,
1495-1508
Addl. Tintoretto, The Last Supper, 1592-94
Fig. 6-7 Gentileschi, Judith and Her
Maidservant…, 1625
Addl. Gifford, October in the Catskills, 1880
Addl. Seurat, A Sunday on La Grande Jatte,
1884-1886
Fig. 6-36 Chuck Close, Stanley, 1980-81
Addl. Signac, The Windmills at Overschie,
1905
Addl. Matisse, The Dance II, 1910
Addl. Matisse, Red Room (Harmony in Red),
1908-09
Addl. Tony Cragg, Newton’s Tones/New
Stones, 1982