Step 16: Lights in Upper Third |
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The Lights
(Steps 14 through 17)
• Perhaps this section should be called "highlights."
The halftones — all of them — are really "lights."
They exist in the light-struck areas of the subject. And we
have rendered them in our painting of the "mosaic of halftones."
Now we are going to turn our a ttention to the most prominent
lights. So maybe "highlights" best expresses this
sequence.
• It is significant that the highlights are painted after
the darks and halftones. The highlights are opaque, impasto
strokes and sit on top of the layers of paint. The highlights
should be painted with very "clean" color. Paint them
boldly, and then leave them alone, if possible. |
Hover to zoom final painting |
| That big, bold highlight on the forehead is part
of this important sequence. You will enjoy mixing and striking
in the important highlight on the forehead. This is normally
one of the most important elements in a portrait study. The
dominant highlight on the forehead establishes the entire tonal
structure of the portrait, as well as adds to the sense of volume
and three-dimensional quality. |
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