Pyle on Light and Shadow

Today we continue looking at Koerner's notes from Howard Pyle.



LIGHT

All things in sunlight are lighter than white in shadow. (See GurneyJourney post on this subject, link.)

A picture is more articulate where the light is concentrated on certain part rather than on all of it.

In a diffuse light everything is soft and close in tone.

Treat lamplight similar to sunlight, only shadows are denser.


SHADOW

Keep your shadows the same strength.

If you face strong sunlight in a picture your color is in your shadows.

In painting anything, don’t get different qualities in your shadow.

After picture is right in tone, finish up by studying edges and keep your shadows out of the light.

If two or more figures are together you can bind them together by running a shadow of same strength from one to the other.
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Images from the Atheneum, link.