Science, Shadows and
the Dutch Masters of Art
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Judith
Leyster
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Lived 1609-1660 (over 300 years
ago)
She studied with Artist Frans Hals, in
Holland
By her 20’s she had her own painting
school and was the only female
Self-Portrait by Judith Leyster, 1630,
member of Harlam’s painter’s guild. National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C
She married, had 5 children and
moved to Amsterdam and was known
as a genre and portrait specialist.
Most of her paintings were wrongly
credited to Frans Hals and lost her
artistic legacy
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Baroque or
Golden Dutch
The Baroque or Golden Dutch period
of art captured many ordinary people, and
those wealthy enough to hire a
professional
painter. Why didn’t they just take a
picture?
Known for painting style of “chiaroscuro”painting technique that uses strong light
and
dark values to create high contrast and the
illusion of depth and space.
Notice the bright light coming in from the
left. The hand blocks the light and a
shadow is
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CAST onto the musical instrument.
See
The Jester by Judith Leyster, 1625
Oil Painting
Rembrandt Van
Rijn
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Born in Netherlands in 1606
and died in Amsterdam in
1669
Self Portrait with Gorget by Rembrandt, 1629
Oil on Oak panel, The Hague, London
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He was a skilled painter and
by 19 opened his own art
studio to teach others
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Rembrandt Van
Rijn
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In 1631 he moved to
Amsterdam to paint portraits
professionally
Self Portrait with Gorget by Rembrandt, 1629
Oil on Oak panel, The Hague, London
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Rembrandt is one of the most
famous painters in the world
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Self Portrait by Rembrandt, 1660
Oil on Canvas, Metropolitan Museum of Art
Blur your eyes-Do you see the
shadows on each part of the
face?
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Rembrandt Van
Rijn
• One of his most famous
artworks recording the Officers
and Men of Company of
Captain Frans Banning Cocp
and Lieutenant Wilhelm van
Ruytenburgh
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The Night Watch by Rembrandt, 1642
Oil on Canvas, Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam
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Unique in composition-typically
groups were all painted in
“boring”rows, but Rembrandt
arranged guards in a dynamic
interesting way!
Notice the shadows the
captains hand casts onto the
Lieutenant’s yellow uniform.
Science of
Shadows
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The vocabulary used to describe
shadows in art come from shadow
descriptions in astronomy.
The umbra is the darkest part of
shadow where the light is completely blocked by the object-to
create this the cast shadow is darkest next to object and crisp.
The penumbra is the area that only part of the light is blockedto create this the shadow gets fuzzier and softer as it extends
away from the object.
Why are shadows important in art? They help make an object
look 3-dimensional as well as create the illusion of space
within an artwork.
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Shadows and Value
to Create Illusion of
Form
Value is changes in light to dark to create the illusion of
volume, space, depth.
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A simple value scale showing steps from light to dark.
This all translates to how each object has a highlight (lightest
value), middle tone (middle values), form shadow (darker
values) and cast shadow (darkest value) and reflection (light
value) in order to look 3-dimensional.
10 step value scale
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Shadows and Value
to Create Illusion of
Form
*Star the highlight (lightest value), * middle tone (middle values),
*form shadow (darker values) and *cast shadow (darkest value)
so we remember those are what we use next on our objects.
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10 step value scale
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Let’s Practice
1. First we will all try the
circle and say our light is
coming from the left.
2. With the side of your
pencil, add a curved line to
the right side of the circle.
That is the core shadow of
the object .
** Shade in a parallel
curves
that match the
wall of the object. Try not
scribble or shade in various
directions.
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Let’s Practice
3. On the left corner of circle
lightly draw a curve for the
hightlighted area.
(this stays white or lightest value)
4. In light to medium tones,
shade the middle of the ball
with parallel curved lines.
**Use your paper towel
wrapped tightly around your
pointer finger to blend and
soften, light to dark staying
inside the main circle shape.
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Let’s Practice
5. To add a CAST shadow, lightly
sketch an oval from the middle of
the bottom of circle.
** The edge under the sphere (the
umbra) to the circle is the darkest
value.
**As the shadow moves away
from the object it gets lighter in
value and fuzzier (penumbra).
**Use your gum eraser to clean up
any areas that got too dark or
smeared.
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Let’s Practice-Cube
*Establish where light is by
drawing an arrow
1. Core shadow on object
2. Highlight stays white
3. Medium tones
4. Blend with paper towel around
pointer finger.
5. Use your gum eraser to clean
up any areas that got too dark or
smeared. Smooth with towel.
6. Add in cast shadow to look
like ground (the umbra is darkest)
**Now you’ve made a 2-d square
transform to a 3-d cube!
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Cylinder
*Establish where light is by
drawing an arrow
1. Core Shadow on object
2. Highlight stays white
3. Medium tones
4. Blend with paper towel around
pointer finger.
5. Use your gum eraser to clean
up any areas that got too dark or
smeared. Smooth with towel.
6. Add in cast shadow to look
like ground (is Umbra the
darkest?)
Triangle to Cone
**Now you’ve made a 2-d shapes
transform to a 3-d FORMS!
Cylinder
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Value, Shadows and
Forms Combined
Changing value in each part of an object
so there is a highlight, middle tone, form
shadow and cast shadow is how drawing
and painting look 3-dimensional instead of
2-d and flat.
Think of some of your favorite characters
from movies and try combining forms to
make them appear 3-d like the movie
animators do.
Try in color pencil on color paper now.
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Review and Closure
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What is the science word for the darkest
part of a cast shadow?
Who were the 2 Dutch artists we talked
about?
What does “chiaroscuro” mean?
When shading what are the 4 values to
make a 3-d form?
For more practice look at the book
Snowman at Night and use color pencils
on color paper to draw characters with
highlights, midtones, core shadow and
cast shadows.
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Review
Answers
• What is the science word for the darkest
part of a cast shadow? Umbra
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Who were the 2 Dutch artists we talked
about? Judith Leyster and Rembrandt
What does “chiaroscuro” mean? High
contrast of light and dark values in artwork to create
drama
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When shading what are the 4 values to
make a 3-d form? lightest (highlight), midtone,
medium tone (core shadow), darkest (cast
shadow).
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For more practice look at the book
Snowman at Night and use color pencils
on color paper to draw characters with
highlights, midtones, core shadow and
cast17shadows.