The influence of light on color in the interior. Metamerism, or how light changes color. Decomposition of sunlight into a spectrum

The visible color depends on the nature of the lighting. Artificial evening light (electric lamps) compared to daylight is yellow-orange, it is dominated by the yellow-red part of the spectrum. Naturally, under such illumination, all surfaces reflect yellow-orange radiation to a greater extent than under daylight, therefore, all colors acquire a yellowish tint. Reds, oranges, and yellows lighten under artificial lighting in the evening; blue-green, blue, blue, purple darken; the lightness of yellow-green does not change; red colors become more saturated; orange blush; blue ones turn green; blue lose saturation; dark blue become indistinguishable from black; purple blush; yellow colors appear pale. In the red light of the rising or setting sun, all colors turn red, reds become more saturated, greens become very dark, losing saturation. The rule of changing colors under colored lighting: colors of the same color tone with lighting increase in saturation, colors of the opposite tone become achromatic (lose saturation and turn black), all other colors acquire a tint of lighting, while colors that are related in tone to lighting brighten, and those approaching the opposite tone - darken. The change in color also depends on the intensity of the light. In bright light, all colors are whitened, and in blinding brightness, colors turn yellow. In bright light, the number of color shades on light surfaces decreases, in low light - on dark surfaces, as well as in shadows. At dusk, with a gradual weakening of the light, the color tones cease to differ: first red, then orange, yellow. Blue colors are distinguished longer than others. At the same time, the lightness relationships between colors also change. During the day, the lightest colors we see are yellow, and at dusk - blue, which gradually become indistinguishable from white. In the morning, at dawn, as the light intensifies, the color tones gradually begin to differ in reverse order: earlier - blue, later - red. 2.6. Changing colors in the distance. Aerial and light perspective.

For objects located at a close distance from the drawing, their size, nature of the form, volume, material, texture, details, chiaroscuro, color and other qualities are clearly visible. As the object moves away, these qualities gradually begin to undergo changes or become indistinguishable at all, which is a consequence of the action of aerial and light perspective.

Air is a gaseous material medium, which contains many impurities - dust, moisture vapor, soot, etc. All this prevents the passage of light, scatters and changes its color. Depending on the thickness of the air, its temperature, humidity, the nature and amount of foreign impurities present in it, the color and light environment of the atmosphere is different. As a result, the distance to objects, the state of the atmosphere have a significant impact on the own color of objects. The color of an object at a distance looks more neutral than near. Light-colored objects darken when removed, while dark ones brighten. The general tone of a mass of objects, such as trees, is much lighter in the distance than that of similar objects located near the observer. In the distance, objects, especially those with a dark color, appear bluish, purple. As the distance changes, not only the own color of objects changes. An increasing layer of air blurs their outlines and contrasts of chiaroscuro. Objects begin to take on a blurry character. At a great distance, the volume, relief, details, material of the object becomes invisible. In the distance, the object looks generalized, soft, in the form of a small flat spot. Rain, fog, snowfall change the visible characteristics of objects located even at a short distance from the viewer.

Table 3. Laws of aerial perspective

perception of objects in space	depiction of objects on the sketch.
	remote		remote
	detailed	generalized	detailed	generalized
		indefinite in form	with sharp edges	with soft contours
	contrast in lightness	muted, close in lightness (light objects appear darker, and dark objects appear lighter)	contrasting in lightness, with pronounced gradations of chiaroscuro	without gradations of chiaroscuro; Light objects are shaded and dark objects are lightened.
	volumetric, three-dimensional with clearly distinguishable signs of height, width and depth of space	planar	three-dimensional with signs of the illusion of depth of space	planar without signs of depth of space
	without signs of air haze, intense in color	with air haze	rich in color	faded, slightly saturated in color with a characteristic shade of air haze
	multicolor	one-color or in a narrow range of colors.	varied in colors and color combinations	monochrome or close within the overall color tone.

The color of light has a strong influence on the perception of the surrounding space. Color is measured in Kelvin and is defined as follows:

• 2700 K - 3000 K - warm light (yellow glow)
• 4200 K - cold light (white or cold glow)

Our psyche, as it were, tells us that warm artificial light is close to the sun, that is, it is familiar to us, and therefore it is more often used in homes.

With warm lighting, a person relaxes and even feels some warmth. But if you want to gather, concentrate, for example, when decorating a workspace, use cold light. Cold glow increases mindfulness by 20% compared to warm glow.

Light, warm and cold, is able to present colors in different ways, which also affects our perception of the world around us. This has long been known to marketers who use some tricks when lighting a certain space.

Warm colors stimulate appetite, and jeans look spectacular in cold ones. There is such a thing as metamerism - the phenomenon of color change under the influence of different lighting. All shops, catering places use certain lighting design rules. For example, in order to make dishes / products look more attractive, a pinkish glow color is used. Often in places of public catering, a suspension lamp is hung above the table, mainly with pinkish or yellow light. Such illumination will make food more appetizing, and people's faces - younger and livelier.

For example, leather and gold jewelry will appear "in all its glory" if they are highlighted with warm light, jeans and silver will look more spectacular in cold light.

Illumination of mannequins, products, dishes is a whole science for which a separate topic can be distinguished.

Knowledge of color can also be used in interior design. After analyzing the color of the room, the color of the walls, furniture, floor, you can choose the right light that will present the interior in the most advantageous way, designate colors and textures, make them richer and richer.

Table of color changes under the influence of warm and cold light

Color in daylight	Intensity	Color in warm light	Color in cold light
yellow	pastel	becomes warmer and very pale	becomes very weak and grayish
	intensive	becomes warmer and softer	becomes lighter and grayish
yellow-green	pastel	becomes pale green, very pale	getting greener and fading
	intensive	becomes yellower and lighter	lost yellow tint
green	pastel	becomes a soft yellow-green	getting bluer, weaker
	intensive	getting warmer and weaker	looks bluish green
bluish green	pastel	getting greener, paler
	intensive	getting greener, weaker	getting bluer, stronger
blue	pastel	becomes gray, leans towards green easily	getting more intense
	intensive	becomes gray, loses color	becomes radiant, cold
indigo blue	pastel	becomes gray and very weak
	intensive	becomes gray, loses color strength	getting colder, more intense
blue-violet	pastel	becomes very pale, whitish	getting bluer, stronger
	intensive	getting grayer, weaker	becomes bluer, brighter
red-violet	pastel	becomes warmer, takes on a brown tint	becomes bluer, more intense
	intensive	becomes warmer, reddish to brown	takes on a bluish tint
purplish red	pastel	becomes warmer, acquires a pinkish-yellowish hue	becomes clearer, appears red-violet
	intensive	getting warmer, yellower	becomes colder, takes on a bluish tint
bright red	pastel	gets warmer, seems salmon pink	acquires a bluish cold tint
	intensive	becomes warmer, appears yellow-red	getting colder, leaning towards blue-red
orange-red/yellow-red	pastel	becomes yellower, more intense	becomes grayish, cool
	intensive	becomes very bright, luminous	becomes muffled, weak

Such a table can be a great helper in the light-color design of the space. But do not forget when choosing future finishing materials to inspect samples and stains in a given room in daylight. So you will understand how to build future lighting and how materials will react to it.

The colors themselves can quite change the perception of space. A room in dark colors seems to us smaller and more compressed, light colors visually expand it, the room seems more spacious, the ceilings “rise”. Cool blue-blue colors will create an impression of spaciousness, and warm yellow tones will add coziness, but “take away” a little space.

Illumination with cold light visually removes the object, warm light brings it closer. By combining knowledge of light and color, you will be able to control the boundaries of the room.

Light in a room has always been an important factor influencing both the well-being of a person and his perception of the surrounding space. With the help of light, you can add space to the room, harmonize the size or hide its imperfections.

The colors of furniture, floors, walls can appear even more advantageous, and even the most expensive and beautiful finishing materials can fade in the wrong light.

Therefore, remember the rules for connecting light and color and that light can become your indispensable assistant.

And it’s not for nothing that the restaurateur Etienne Bioul once said: “Light masks design errors, like sauce masks chef’s mistakes.”

19.01.2015 19:01

Without color, we cannot imagine the world we see. A person is constantly influenced by the color environment in which he lives, affects his physiological processes and psychological state. Knowing the features of each color, you can form a certain image, evoke certain emotions, associations.

If you carefully look around you, you can see a diverse range of colors that surround us at home. However, color not only determines the artistic qualities of the premises, but also helps to create the most favorable conditions for the life and activity of a person, his health and mood.

The positive or negative feeling of being in a room is called visual climate of space and its creation should be taken seriously and creatively.

Visual climate of the home.

What influences the choice of the right color scheme for a modern apartment?

The correct color scheme of the premises in a modern apartment is extremely important, as it gives a finished look to its interior.

Under the influence of an unsuccessful color composition, even an apartment well furnished in all respects may look unfriendly, while a skillful selection and combination of colors conceal some of the shortcomings of the home, create comfort, and improve mood.

The importance of the choice of color in the decoration and decoration of a modern apartment can be explained by the fact that, in addition to artistic and decorative qualities, color also has a number of properties of purely practical significance.

Under the influence of one color or another, we may experience a feeling of joy or sadness, sharpen or dissipate our attention, increase or decrease performance, etc.

Color can also change our impression of the size and proportion of a room.

The color scheme of the apartment depends on the following interrelated factors:

Orientation to the cardinal points and illumination of rooms,

Dimensions and proportions of rooms

Lighting (natural or artificial light)

The emotional impact of color on a person,

Room assignments.

It is important to determine which of these factors should be taken into account first of all in order to create the most comfortable conditions in the interior.

Orientation to the cardinal points, illumination of rooms and color.

Color means can compensate for the lack of warmth in the premises.

Colors are divided into warm and cold.

Warm: yellow, orange, red and their shades, as well as cream, apricot, coffee, rose yellow, green(in which yellow, but not blue shades predominate). Rooms painted in warm colors that do not face the sunny side seem lighter.

Cool colors: blue, cyan, lilac, purple, dominated shades of blue, light gray, silver. They are suitable for highly lit and sun-heated rooms.

It is known what a beneficial effect the sun has on a person, a prolonged lack of sunlight depresses. When choosing the color of the interior, you need to take into account the illumination of the rooms, because even with a southern orientation, they can be dark due to small windows or because the windows are closed by a neighboring house or trees standing very close to them. In such cases, the darker the room, the lighter the walls should be.

How can color visually change a space?

Dimensions and proportions of rooms and color.

Knowledge of the properties of colors and their correct use can significantly improve the impression of uncomfortable rooms - "raise" or "lower" the ceiling, "push" or "narrow" the walls. This is achieved by changing the color tone, pattern, texture, methods of using finishing materials and artificial lighting, the so-called optical illusion.

An optical illusion is a phenomenon in which the apparent qualities of objects do not correspond to reality.

FOR EXAMPLE:

Plain-colored plain room seems larger and more spacious. It clearly distinguishes all proportions.

Vertical stripes of color make the room look taller.

Horizontal stripes give the impression of a low room.

Variegation causes a feeling of disorder, unrest and reduces the room.

If the walls are dark and the ceiling is light, then the room seems higher.

Extended rooms appear shorter if the wall in front is brightly colored.

But do not forget about the color harmony in the interior:

Principles of creating color harmony

1. Choice of dominant color

2. The color of the walls primarily determines what the room will look like: yellow or cold, exciting or soothing. Walls of warm, deep colors seem closer, and cold, light colors seem to be visually distant.

3. The color scheme of the floor should be selected in accordance with the size of the room and the surrounding color schemes of the space. Too light floors create a feeling of insecurity, they are quite suitable for a sanitary unit. Very dark floors in large rooms can seriously affect lighting. In large rooms, in the absence of pronounced accents, to visually reduce the surface, you can use an edging painted in a different color or a lighter tone and vice versa; in small rooms, to visually enlarge them, you need to slightly raise the floor, creating a strip on the wall. But at the same time, care must be taken, since large-sized colorful decorative elements act as obstacles that they encounter.

4. The color scheme of the ceiling depends on the height of the room and other color elements in it. Light (for example, light blue or greenish blue) ceilings visually increase the height of the room if the color of the walls is darker and warmer. And for very high ceilings, of course, you can use more intense colors.

5. Each color should be seen indoors several times. This increases the brightness of the complementary colors.

6. Color harmony is achieved if no more than three colors are used in the room

7. Decrease in color saturation should correspond to natural perception. Perception is not only an improvement in visibility, but also a sense of the surrounding space. For example, according to our natural perception of space, the floor should be dark and the ceiling light.

8. It is necessary to refuse a large number of patterns.

How does room lighting affect color perception?

Lighting and color.

With a light color of the walls, ceiling and floor, the amount of reflected light increases significantly, and consequently, the overall illumination of the room. In addition, a greater or lesser uniform illumination is achieved with a matte surface, since the latter reflects light in all directions, while a glossy surface mainly reflects in one direction.

When there is insufficient illumination of the premises, the saturation of colors sharply decreases, and blue, blue and purple tones change less than red, orange and yellow. Therefore, in dimly lit rooms (for example, hallways, corridors), it is better to paint the walls in cold colors. During the day, such rooms, despite the lack of light, will not seem gray and boring and will retain their color value. Poorly lit rooms should not be painted white, because white surfaces in such conditions appear dull and gray.

When choosing the color of a room, it must be remembered that the color chosen in daylight changes with electric lighting, since with a change in the light source, the composition of the reflected light changes, and with it the color of the object.

Influence of neighboring colors.

The color changes depending on the proximity of the colors located. (For example, blue near yellow acquires a purple hue, near red - greenish. Grayish-white near orange becomes whiter, acquiring a bluish tint, next to greenish - pinkish, near purple - lemon yellow. Grey-brown becomes greenish near red, grayish near light yellow, reddish near green, and delicate green becomes very bright near pink.)

Dark or light colors (for example, light walls - dark furniture) can make a room with smooth walls embossed, plastic. By painting the color of furniture and walls, it can be visually masked, which is very convenient in small rooms with narrow walls.

How psychologically color affects a person?

Color and emotions.

Each person constantly feels the influence of colors: positive, if the colors are chosen rationally, or negative.

Psychologists have found that the color of the interior has a significant impact on the psyche, emotions and well-being of a person. Certain colors and their combinations can make a person happy, sad, anxious or melancholy.

Studies conducted by domestic and foreign scientists made it possible to determine the nature of the impact of various colors and their combinations on the nervous system and human performance.

- Red color has a stimulating effect of an active, obsessive, coercive nature. At the same time, breathing and pulse change, as with any excitation. With a short exposure to red, performance increases; prolonged exposure to color leads to fatigue and reduced performance.

- Orange color causes a cheerful and joyful mood, a feeling of warmth, a desire to move, activates, under the condition of a changeable effect, it has a positive effect on performance.

- light orange color has the most favorable effect on children, improves their mood, improves physiological functions.

- Yellow color gives the impression of sunlight. Invigorates, contributes to the creation of a good mood. With intermittent exposure, it increases performance.

- Green color- neutral, soft, soothing. The long-term effect of color does not tire and causes, although not strong, but a steady rise in working capacity.

- Blue color refers to passive colors, promotes tenderness and dreaminess, lowering activity and emotional stress, weakening and slowing down vital processes, causes a feeling of coolness.

- Blue color- cold, calm, passive, under its influence, the activity of vital processes decreases, breathing and pulse are regulated. The performance decreases. When exposed to this color, there is a tendency to contemplation and reflection.

- Blue-green color restrains, soothes.

- Purple color is among the most passive. Its influence leads to the weakening and slowing down of vital processes, a decrease in activity, to the appearance of a feeling of depression with a touch of some anxiety, as if hidden excitement, repulsive. Even a short-term effect of purple color reduces performance.

- Brown color- calm, restrained, evokes a feeling of warmth, contributes to the creation of a calm, mild mood.

- Black color- gloomy, heavy. Associated with night, darkness. Depresses, sharply reduces mood and performance.

- Grey colour- dull, causes apathy, boredom. Dark gray is depressing.

- White color- cold, calm, creates the impression of festivity and solemnity and at the same time modesty and simplicity. Some interior professionals prefer white. It's hard to tell them. Indeed, white walls are a great backdrop for furniture of any color, for carpets, paintings, textiles and other decorative elements. Rooms with white walls are bright, cozy and at the same time quite formal, but a person loves variety and, taking into account many factors influencing the choice of interior color scheme, accepts a variety of color combinations.

How does the choice of color depend on the psychotype of a person?

It is also impossible to ignore the influence of a person's psychotype.

MELANCHOLIC- this is a reasonable person, secretive, he needs a clear organization of life so that there is the possibility of frequent short-term rest. Color related to him in fact - blue(acts soothingly, gives harmony, satisfaction, relaxation).

PHLEGMATIC PERSON- loves peace and stability. Music satisfies his need for harmony and wholeness. Has a balanced temperament, an introvert, often passive. Color related to him - green. It has a calming, stabilizing, balancing effect.

SANGUINE is a cheerful and open person. Optimistic. Color related to him in fact - yellow. It affects the sanguine person sunny, airy, fun. Compensating - purple, also soft dark tones can somewhat muffle the fantasizing temperament of a sanguine person.

CHOLERIC- sociable, often very temperamental. Gets along great with red color, even in the most intense forms. Color feels dynamic, active, temperamental, catchy. Compensating colors are blue and green. They balance the temperament of the choleric.

How does the purpose of the rooms affect the choice of color?

Purpose of premises and color.

Common room or living room

The living room in an apartment inhabited by a family of four to six people is a place where family members spend most of the day for the purpose of relaxation and homework. Therefore, the color scheme of this room should be clear, calm, conducive to a good mood and work. Depending on the orientation to the cardinal points and illumination, golden, yellow-green, gray-blue, gray-green and other warm and cold colors of low and medium saturation can be used here.

In sparsely populated spacious apartments and manor houses, the living room, or common room, is used relatively little - mainly for evening rest and receiving guests. Therefore, its walls can be made in saturated colors that contribute to the festive mood - cherry, blue, purple, etc. Such colors will be a good background for light-colored furniture, paintings in gilded frames, decorative sculpture, crystal, etc.

The living room will be more elegant and neat if the color combination of the walls, ceiling and floor is chosen in accordance with the color of the furniture, carpets, curtains and other decorations.

Bedroom

An atmosphere of complete tranquility is desirable in the bedroom. It is important to choose the right color scheme for the bedroom. All kinds of tones and their combinations do not equally affect the psyche and mood of a person. In turn, people with different temperaments and inclinations prefer certain shades. But in general, calm, rather whitened colors respond to it.

Children's room. The color scheme of the children's room affects the child much more than an adult. The well-being of the child, his mood, his creative abilities depend on the chosen color scheme. In the children's room, conditions for study, sleep and rest should be created. A feature of its color design is the fact that the age and gender of children should be taken into account.

Preference should be given - clear orange, sunny yellow, blue, gray-green, pink. It is recommended to use bright colors only in the training area.

If the room is for preschool children, then bright color spots that enliven the interior should be included in the color composition. (mats on the floor, furniture upholstery, cabinet doors)

A room for the elderly should be solved in calm tones, without sharp contrasts. Elderly people stay in their rooms for a long time, and besides, they do not like sharp color contrasts. Therefore, the coloring of rooms for the elderly should contribute to calm and comfort. This can be achieved by painting the walls in soft, subdued tones.

AT office calm brown, beige, green and gray colors contribute to concentrated mental work.

Kitchen. In a modern apartment, the kitchen has ceased to be only a working room for cooking. Therefore, when decorating, you should strive to make the kitchen beautiful and comfortable, so that it would be pleasant to work in it.

For decorating the walls of the kitchen, you should always choose light, clean colors. This will help to ensure that a small kitchen area will visually look larger than it is. For example, light blue, light green, silver gray or light cream, light pink, lemon yellow, light orange and other shades of warm colors are good for finishing, depending on the orientation of the kitchen.

Starting to design the interior, be very serious and creative in choosing a color scheme. Think over everything to the smallest detail. After all, a successful color scheme of your interior can change your life for the better.

Surely, each of you has experienced a slight sadness and apathy on a cold cloudy day, which instantly turns into causeless enthusiasm in bright sunny weather. Perhaps the whole point is the lack of vitamin D, which we produce in the sun, but there is another secret. Depending on the lighting, the color palette of all the objects around us completely changes. In clear weather, we see rich colors and harsh shadows, which are synonymous with dynamism and positivity; on cloudy days, shadows are washed out and a feeling of peace or even a little sadness is created by reducing the contrast. In addition, the actual color of objects depends on the temperature of the light, which also affects our impression of the landscape around us.

Often they pay attention only to the tonal modeling of the form, depicting the same color in the shadow of an object as in the light, only with a difference in tone. This is a serious mistake because the color is always changing. It is impossible to draw both light and shadow with the same pigment!

To create a realistic image of objects, you must remember the following axioms:

1. If the lighting is warm, then cold shades will appear in the shadows, and vice versa, if the lighting is cold, warm shades will appear in the shadows.

For example, if we are painting a landscape in bright sunlight on a cloudless day, then there may be warm shades in the shadows, since daylight is most often white, bluish or lemon-colored and is considered cold light. At sunrise and sunset, sunlight tends to be warm, bright yellow or orange, so cool bluish and bluish hues appear in the shadows.

C. Monet “Rouen Cathedral: portal and Saint-Romain tower: morning effect”. C. Monet “Rouen Cathedral: portal and Saint-Romain tower: noon”. C. Monet “Rouen Cathedral: portal and Saint-Romain tower: effect of the sun, end of the day”

In the same way, if we draw a still life with an electric incandescent lamp, then the shadows will noticeably cool down, you will see shades of blue, purple or even green. Also, in the flame of a fire or candle, which give warm lighting, cold shades appear in the shadows. However, when using a cold light fluorescent lamp (from 4000 K), the shadows will become noticeably warmer, as with cold moonlight.

Van Gogh “still life drawing board, pipe, bow and sealing wax” .Van Gogh “Starry night over the Rhone”

The following tables will help us deal with the temperature of light.

2. Shades appear in the shadow that are opposite on the color spectrum to the local color of the object.

This simple means that in the subject's own shadow we can see shades of the complementary color. For example, you are painting a still life with a red apple, a peach, and blue grapes. The complementary color for red is green, for yellow is purple, and for blue is orange. That is why in the shadows you can observe shades of green, purple and orange, respectively.

Paul Gauguin "Flowers and a Bowl of Fruit" Paul Cezanne. “Still life with drawer extended”

If we turn to the color wheel, then these pairs will be: yellow and purple, green and red, blue and orange. And intermediate between them, respectively.

3. An object illuminated with warm light that has a warm local color becomes even brighter and more saturated in the light, and an object that has a cold local color becomes closer to an achromatic color equal in tone.

And an object that has a cold local color becomes even brighter, louder and richer.

For example, we are drawing an orange lit by a lamp with warm light. In the light, the orange area will appear even brighter and more saturated than it is, while in the shade the orange color will not only become noticeably colder, but also lose color. This effect can be achieved with blue paint. Many people know that complementary colors placed side by side on the canvas reinforce each other. But not everyone knows that complementary colors, when mixed with each other on the palette, neutralize each other. If we illuminate this orange with cold daylight, then in the light its color will become more faded, while “burning shades” will appear in the shade.

Van Gogh "Still life with a basket and six oranges". P. Konchalovsky "Oranges"

These simple rules allow you to predict which color will appear in the shadow or in the light and choose the right shades for mixing. That's all. Happy drawing!

A great influence on the perception of form is exerted by light, its direction, incident and its own shadows. When lighting a room with dim light reflected from the ceiling, i.e. falling on all objects from above, it gives the impression of a cloudy afternoon. With one-sided lighting, sharp and warm in color, which forms sharp shadows from all objects, a feeling of a summer evening is created when the light is bright, side, etc. We get the most correct impression of color in sunlight at noon.

In the light of incandescent lamps, the blue and violet parts of the spectrum are almost absent, so red, orange, yellow and green colors are perceived with only slight deviations compared to the same colors in daylight, while blue and violet surfaces darken and redden significantly.

The light of fluorescent white fluorescent lamps in its spectral composition is close to the natural daylight of the sky. When illuminated by these lamps, color perception will be relatively correct, coinciding with daylight perception. When painting rooms and equipment, it is necessary to take into account the changes that will occur with the color of surfaces under artificial lighting.

Depending on the method of solving the problem of the relationship between the object and the background, one can achieve the impression of remoteness or proximity of the object, the feeling of an increase in space, and, conversely, the creation of the so-called. "stage perspective" - ​​i.e. imposition of contours, identification of the foreground, the second, the illusory distance of the third plan (Table 1).

A dissected plane or space is perceived to some extent larger than undivided. This is based on visual illusions and a psychological moment: it takes more time to view a dissected space or plane than to view an undivided plane.

12. Influence of contrast.

A more complex kind of illusion is the edge contrast (or it is called the border effect), which occurs in places where a light field is in contact with a darker field. A light field near the border with a dark one appears even lighter, and a dark field appears darker. One gets the impression of uneven coloration of both fields.

Students encounter the phenomenon of edge light contrast in almost every work: in drawing and painting objects of a multifaceted shape (cube, ball), as well as a human head. In places of contact with the background, the shadow side of the head seems too dark, and the background, on the contrary, is light; the illuminated part of the face in relation to the background seems too light, and the background on the border with the light - very dark.

Sometimes students begin to whiten the shadow part, make the background behind the head darker or the light on the face. The work loses contrasting expressiveness, becomes “sluggish”. Most often, in such cases, it is necessary to lighten the edge of the shadow part of the object, and on the border of light and dark along the edge of the light on the object, apply a light halftone.

The effect of the edge contrast will be weakened. The object will be perceived as more voluminous, spatial1. In ornamental compositions (for example, on fabrics, carpets, wallpaper, etc.), where several planes, different in color, lightness, adjoin each other, they are usually outlined in black, white or gray. These thin intermediate strips that interfere with the action of edge contrast are called spacers.

From the neighborhood with each other, colors change not only in lightness. Being close and mutually influencing each other, they acquire new color shades. For example, when surrounded by red, the gray color seems to be somewhat greenish, and on the contrary, on a green background, it is pinkish, reddened, when surrounded by yellow - bluish, etc. It seems that the corresponding colors are mixed with the gray tone every time, i.e. achromatic colors produce a color cast.

In the examples given, the gray tones have acquired opposite (complementary) shades of the backgrounds on which they were located. Similar phenomena can be observed in chromatic colors. If yellow is, for example, surrounded by red, then it is perceived as somewhat greenish, lemon yellow; on a green background, it looks reddish or having an orange tint, on a blue background it looks more saturated, since blue is the opposite color to yellow. Red color surrounded by green is perceived as more saturated, green color on green, but with less saturation than the background, becomes achromatic, gray. These phenomena in changing colors are called chromatic (color) contrast.

So, with edge and simultaneous contrasts, a color is perceived as darker if it is surrounded by light colors; and lighter - surrounded by dark ones. This phenomenon is typical for both chromatic and achromatic colors.

If a color is surrounded by chromatic colors, then it is mixed (according to the law of optical mixing) with a color that is close to the complementary color of the environment.

If the color is in the neighborhood or against the background of its complementary color or close to it, then it is perceived as more saturated. If a small spot of the same color, but less saturated, is placed on a color plane, then the latter loses its saturation even more.

Working with relationships in painting.

To master the skill of realistic painting, it is necessary from the very beginning

learning to understand the essence and meaning of its two main features. Only in this case

a novice artist embarks on the path of professional education, and each new

work on picturesque qualities will be more perfect.

The first feature is that a competent pictorial image from nature,

the transfer of its volumetric, spatial and material qualities is based on the method

proportional arrangement of the visual image of the color relations of nature on

palette color range. The essence of the color relations conveyed in the study follows from

the essence of relations perceived by sight. Moreover, the construction of color relationships

etude is made taking into account the general tone and color state of illumination

(depending on the strength and spectral composition of the illumination - the color of the illumination). Working method

relations is the basic law of pictorial writing. An artist is a person

having a heightened sense of not only proportions, but also color relationships.

The second feature is that the color relationships of natural objects

performances are determined by comparison with their whole perception. Without such a setting

eyes on the integrity of vision, the color relationships of nature cannot be determined,

the image of nature will be motley, fractional, inharmonious. It is as a result

mastering these two features of professional literacy, you can create a complete

valuable, emotionally effective coloring of the image.

Primary and derivative colors.

Primary (or primary colors)- three basic colors - yellow, red and blue, from which all the rest are obtained by mixing.

These three colors cannot be obtained by mixing any of the others.

secondary colors- shades of color that can be obtained by mixing two basic ones.

Yellow + red = orange

Yellow + blue = green

Red + blue \u003d purple (lilac)

Tertiary (derivatives) colors are obtained by mixing primary and secondary colors.

Yellow + green = yellow green

Yellow + orange = yellow-orange

Red + orange = red-orange

Techniques of watercolor painting.

depending on paper moisture Let's single out such watercolor techniques as "wet work" ("English" watercolor) and "work in dry" ("Italian" watercolor). An interesting effect is obtained by working on a fragmentary moistened sheet. In addition, combinations of these techniques can also be found.

Wet work.

The essence of this technique is that the paint is applied to a sheet previously moistened with water. The degree of its moisture content depends on the creative intent of the artist, but usually they begin to work after the water on the paper ceases to “shine” in the light. With enough experience, you can control the moisture content of the sheet by hand. Depending on how filled with water the hair bundle of the brush, it is customary to conditionally distinguish between such methods of work as "wet-on-wet" and "dry-on-wet".

Advantages of wet technique.
This way of working allows you to get light, transparent color shades with soft transitions. Especially successfully this method is used in landscape painting.

Difficulties in wet technology.
The main difficulty lies in the main advantage - this is the fluidity of watercolor. When applying paint by this method, the artist often depends on the vagaries of smears spreading over wet paper, which in the process of creativity can turn out far from what was originally intended. At the same time, it is almost impossible to correct only a single fragment without affecting the rest. In most cases, the rewritten section will be out of harmony with the general structure of the rest of the canvas. Some soiling, dirt, etc. may appear.
This way of working requires constant self-control, free use of the brush. Only considerable practice allows the artist to somehow predict the behavior of ink on wet paper and provide a sufficient level of control over its spreading. The painter must have a clear idea of ​​what he wants and how he must solve the problem.

A la Prima technique.

This is a painting in a raw style, written quickly, in one session, which creates unique effects of streaks, overflows and overflows of paint.

Advantages of the A la Prima technique.
Getting on the wet surface of the paper, the paint spreads over it in a unique way, making the picture light, airy, transparent, breathable. It is no coincidence that the work done in this technique is practically impossible to copy, since each stroke on a wet sheet is unique and unrepeatable. Combining various color combinations with a variety of tonal solutions, you can achieve amazing overflows and transitions between the subtlest shades. The a la prima method, since it does not involve multiple registrations, allows you to maintain maximum freshness and richness of colorful sounds.
In addition, an additional advantage of this technique will be a certain time saving. As a rule, the work is written “in one breath” while the sheet is wet (which is 1-3 hours), although, if necessary, you can additionally wet the paper during the creative process. In quick sketches from nature and sketches, this method is indispensable. It is also appropriate when performing landscape sketches, when fickle weather conditions oblige a quick execution technique.
When writing, it is recommended to make mixtures of two, maximum of three colors. Excess paint, as a rule, leads to clouding, to a loss of freshness, brightness, color definition. Do not get carried away by the randomness of spots, each stroke is designed to meet its purpose - to be strictly consistent with the shape and pattern.

The complexities of the A la Prima technique.
The advantage and at the same time the difficulty here is that the image that instantly appears on paper and fancifully blurs under the action of the movement of water cannot subsequently be subjected to any change. Each detail begins and ends in one step, all colors are taken at once in full force. Therefore, this method requires extraordinary concentration, sharp writing and an ideal sense of composition.
Another inconvenience can be called the limited time frame for the execution of such a watercolor, since there is no possibility of leisurely work with breaks between painting sessions (including when writing a large-format painting, by gradual execution of individual fragments). The image is written almost non-stop and, as a rule, "with one touch", i.e. the brush, if possible, touches a separate part of the paper only once or twice, no longer returning to it. This allows you to maintain absolute transparency, lightness of watercolor, to avoid dirt in your work.

Dry work.

It consists in the fact that the paint is applied to a dry sheet of paper in one or two (single-layer watercolor) or several (glazing) layers, depending on the artist's idea. This method allows you to provide good control over the flow of paint, tonality and shape of strokes.

Single-layer watercolor "dry".

As the name implies, in this case the work is written in one layer on a dry sheet and, as a rule, in one or two touches. This keeps the color purity of the image. As needed, you can "include" paint of a different shade or color in the applied, but not yet dried layer.

single layer method dry-on-dry more transparent and airy than glazing, but does not have the beauty of wet overflows achieved by the A la Prima technique. However, unlike the latter, without any particular difficulties, it allows you to perform strokes of the desired shape and tone, to provide the necessary control over the paint.

The colors used in the work, in order to avoid the appearance of dirt and filthiness, it is advisable to think over and prepare in advance, at the very beginning of the painting session, so that they can be applied to the sheet without hindrance.
It is convenient to work in this technique by outlining the contours of the drawing in advance, since there is no way to make adjustments with additional layers of paint. This method is well suited for graphic images, as strokes on dry paper retain their clarity. In addition, such a watercolor can be written both in one session and in several (with fragmentary work) with breaks as needed.

Another way to perform a single-layer watercolor is wet-on-dry, lies in the fact that each stroke is applied next to the previous one, capturing it while it is still wet. Thanks to this, a natural mixture of shades and a soft transition between them is formed. To enhance the color, you can pour the necessary paint with a brush into a smear that has not yet dried. You need to work fast enough to cover the entire sheet before the previously applied strokes dry out. This allows you to create beautiful painterly overflows, and the dry surface of the paper provides sufficient control over the fluidity and outlines of the strokes.

Multi-layer watercolor (glazing).

Glazing is a method of applying watercolor with transparent strokes (as a rule, darker ones on top of lighter ones), one layer on top of another, while the bottom must always be dry. Thus, the paint in different layers does not mix, but works through the light, and the color of each fragment is made up of the colors in its layers. When working in this technique, you can see the boundaries of strokes. But, since they are transparent, this does not spoil the painting, but gives it a peculiar texture. The strokes are done carefully so as not to damage or blur the already dried picturesque areas.

Advantages of the multi-layered watercolor technique.
Perhaps the main advantage is the ability to create paintings in the style of realism, i. most accurately reproducing one or another fragment of the environment. Such works outwardly have a certain similarity, for example, with oil painting, however, unlike it, they retain transparency and sonority of colors, despite the presence of several layers of paint.
Bright, fresh glazing paints give watercolor works a special sonority of color, lightness, tenderness and radiance of color.
Glazing is a technique of saturated colors, deep shadows filled with colorful reflections, a technique of soft airy planes and endless distances. Where the task is to achieve color intensity, the multi-layer technique comes first.

Glazing is indispensable in shaded interiors and distant panorama plans. The softness of the chiaroscuro of the interior in a calm diffused light with a variety of all kinds of reflections and the complexity of the general pictorial state of the interior can only be conveyed by the glazing technique. In panoramic painting, where it is necessary to convey the most delicate aerial gradations of perspective plans, one cannot use body techniques; here you can achieve the goal only with the help of glazing.
When writing in this technique, the artist is relatively independent in terms of chronological framework: there is no need to rush, there is time to think without haste. The work on the picture can be divided into several sessions, depending on the possibilities, necessity and, in fact, the desire of the author. This is especially important when working with large format images, when it is possible to perform various fragments of the future picture separately from each other with their subsequent final merging.
Due to the fact that the glazing is carried out on dry paper, it is possible to achieve excellent control over the accuracy of strokes, which allows you to realize your plan to the maximum. By gradually applying one layer of watercolor after another, it is easier to choose the right shade for each element in the drawing and get the right color scheme.

The complexity of layered watercolor.
The main criticism directed at this technique is that, in contrast to the single-layer style of painting, which preserves the transparency of colors as much as possible, watercolor works executed with glaze lose their airiness and resemble images in oil or gouache. However, if the glazing is applied thinly and transparently, then the light falling on the picture will be able to reach the paper and be reflected from it.

It is also worth noting that the multi-layered writing often hides the texture of paper and paints or the texture of semi-dry brush strokes on a granular sheet.
Like any watercolor painting, glazing involves very careful work - strokes must be placed carefully so as not to smear the lower, already dried, layers of paint. Because the perfect mistake can not always be corrected later without consequences. If paper and a fragment of the image allow, you can blur the bad place with a hard column previously moistened in clean water, then blot it with a napkin or cloth, and then, when everything dries, carefully restore the color.

Also, work can be done in combined (mixed) watercolor technique when in one picture both the “wet” and “dry” techniques are harmoniously combined. For example, the first layer of paint is placed on wet paper to create the desired blurring of the background (or/and separate fragments of the middle and foregrounds), and then, after the paper dries, additional layers of paint are placed successively while drawing the elements of the middle and foreground in detail. If desired, other combinations of raw writing and glazing are also used.

An interesting way work on a fragmentary moistened leaf , when the latter is not completely wetted, but only in some specific places. A long stroke, covering both dry and wet areas of the paper, will take on a unique shape, combining, with its general continuity, clear contours in dry places with “spread” ones in wet ones. The tonality of such a smear will change accordingly in areas of the paper with different degrees of moisture.

According to the color palette used by the artist, we will conditionally highlight monochrome watercolor - grisaille, and multicolor - classical. In the latter, there is no limit on the number of colors used and their shades, while in grisaille, different tones of the same color are used, not counting the color of the paper. Most often, sepia is used and, less often, black, ocher.

Sometimes in relation to watercolor work, you can also find such a term as "dichrome". As a rule, it is used extremely rarely and refers to those images in the creation of which not one, but two colors were used.

According to the degree of humidity you can divide not only the work surface, but also brush hair bundle during a painting session. Of course, this division is more than arbitrary, since, depending on the desires of the artist, the same brush can change the degree of moisture with each stroke. At the same time, we will single out the work with a dry (wrung out) brush, semi-dry and wet, since the strokes in these cases differ from each other.
A brushstroke with a pressed brush when writing "wet" provides less "fluidity", allows you to better maintain control over the paint applied to the sheet. When writing “in a dry way”, such a stroke can only partially cover the paper, “slipping” (especially for embossed paper, medium-grained and torchon), which is of particular interest for specific creative solutions.

Writing with a semi-dry brush is universal and well suited for writing on paper of varying degrees of moisture. Of course, each case will have its own characteristics. With a wet brush, they write, as a rule, “in a dry way”, since dotted strokes on the wet surface of the sheet give a strong “spreading” and are difficult to control. However, a wet brush is well suited for pouring, stretching, washes and other techniques when you want to keep as much water in the brush as possible.

There are techniques for watercolor mixed with other coloring materials , for example, with whitewash (gouache), watercolor pencils, ink, pastels, etc. And, although the results are also very impressive, such techniques are not “clean”.

In the case of a combination of watercolor with pencils, the latter complement the translucency of colors with their bright and clear shades. With pencils, you can either emphasize some details of the pictorial image, making them clearer, sharper, or do the whole work in mixed media, in which linear strokes, brush strokes and colorful stains are equally present.

Pastel does not connect with watercolor as well as a pencil, but sometimes artists use it, applying pastel strokes over the finished watercolor hillshade.

ink, both black and color, can be used instead of watercolor. However, ink gives new possibilities and is usually used in brush washes or pen drawings. The combination of black ink drawing and abstract watercolor spots that merge and cross the boundaries of ink objects gives the work a fresh and original look.

combination of watercolor and pen very well, for example, for book illustrations.

Usually, whitewash(opaque coloring material, such as gouache) in mixed media are used to "simplify" the painting process. Sometimes the "reserve" of individual places in the picture presents a certain difficulty, especially when these places are small and there are many of them. Therefore, some artists paint without it, and then “bleach” the right places with paint (for example, highlights on objects, snow, tree trunks, etc.).
When creating one work, it is possible and combination of different materials, for example, in addition to watercolors, white, ink and pastel are used in the process of painting, depending on the artist's creative intent.

In watercolor, one can conditionally distinguish such writing techniques , like: strokes, pouring, washing, stretching, reserves, "pulling" paint, etc.
smears- this is perhaps one of the most common ways of writing in painting, by the nature of which it is easy to distinguish a dynamic drawing from a boring work. The brush filled with paint, in contact with the surface of the sheet, performs one or another movement, after which it breaks away from the paper, thereby completing the stroke. It can be dotted, linear, curly, clear, blurry, solid, broken, etc.
fill- a technique performed in cases where it is required to cover a large area of ​​the picture with one color or make smooth transitions between different colors. It is performed on paper tilted at an angle, as a rule, with long horizontal strokes with a large brush, so that each next stroke flows down and “captures” part of the previous one, thereby organically merging with it into one texture. If, after filling, there is excess coloring pigment, then they can be carefully removed with a wrung out brush or napkin.
laundering- a technique of watercolor painting, in which paint heavily diluted with water is used - they begin to write transparent layers with it, repeatedly passing through those places that should be darker. The overall tone of each of the sections of the image is ultimately achieved by repeated overlays of these layers, and each of them is applied only after the previous one has completely dried, so that the colors do not mix with each other. At the same time, it is not recommended to apply more than three layers of paint so that dirt does not appear. Therefore, most often the second registration enhances the colors of the halftones, and the third saturates the color of the shadows and introduces details. In fact, washing is a repeated pouring of one tone onto another with a solution of the same concentration. Most often, this technique is used by architects and designers, since an ordinary drawing does not give the viewer a visual representation of the shape and color of the building. In addition, working with color, the architect finds the best combination of material for the perception of what was conceived, clarifies tonal relationships, and achieves an expressive silhouette and volumetric solution of the project.

gradient stretch- a series of successive strokes smoothly transitioning into each other, in which each subsequent one is lighter in tone than the previous one. In addition, sometimes a smooth transition from one color to another is also called.
Often in watercolor, a method such as "pulling" paint. A clean, wrung-out brush is carefully applied to the still wet painting layer, the hair of which absorbs part of the pigment from the paper, making the tone of the stroke lighter in the right place. Best of all, the paint is drawn out when writing “wet”, as the surface is still wet and the pigment does not hold well. If the smear is already dry, it can be gently moistened with a clean wet brush, and then “pull” the paint to the desired tone. However, this method is less effective on dry paper.

Reservation - this is the part of the sheet that remains white during the painting process. A real watercolorist observes the rules of purity of this technique, refusing white. Therefore, the level of the artist's skill, among other things, is determined by the ability to perform a high-quality reservation technique. There are several main ways.
"Walking"- the most complex and most "clean" reservation technique. With such a letter, the artist leaves the necessary places of the picture not painted over, carefully “bypassing” them with a brush. The method is performed both "dry" and "wet". In the latter case, you need to keep in mind that the ink applied to wet paper spreads, so the reserve should be done with some "margin".
The method often used is mechanical impact on a dry layer of paint. In the right places, it is scratched with a sharp object (for example, a razor) to the white surface of the sheet. However, such a technique requires a certain skill and violates the texture of the paper, which can eventually lead to negative consequences.
It is also possible to use various so-called "camouflage", which can be used at almost any stage of the development of the picture, preventing paint from getting into the areas covered by them.
Using these solutions, you can keep bright light accents, glare, splashes white, achieve a variety of effects with the overlay method, when masking is applied after the first wash of color is applied, and a second, darker shade is applied on top.
However, with such a reserve, sharp and contrasting borders are obtained between the paint layer and the protected area. Softening such transitions is not always successful, so it is better not to abuse the use of masking tools, using them only to create interesting and beautiful effects.

You can also create a preliminary drawing in the right places. wax crayons without covering large areas. Then moisten all the work with water and fill with paints on a still wet sheet. Places originally painted over with wax crayons will remain untouched by watercolor, because. Wax repels water.

Another way is washout paint with a damp or wrung out brush. It is best done on a dry layer. However, it is no longer possible to achieve the initial whiteness of the paper, since part of the pigment still remains in the texture of the sheet. Instead of a brush, you can use a dry napkin, gently applying it to the specified places in the picture (for example, thus “creating” clouds in the sky), etc.
Sometimes there is such a technique as removing part of the semi-dry paint palette knife. However, it requires a certain skill and is used only in some particular solutions (for example, they can emphasize the outlines of mountains, stones, rocks, sea waves, trees, grass, etc. can be depicted).

Sometimes when creating watercolor works, some special effects .
For example, salt crystals applied on top of a wet paint layer, absorb part of the pigment, leaving unique stains on the paper, moving tonal transitions. With the help of salt, you can get a moving air environment in the picture, decorate the meadow with flowers, and the sky with stars.

Of particular interest is the watercolor, made on pre-creased paper, due to which the paint accumulates in a special way at the bends of the sheet, creating additional volume.

Sheet tinting black tea may contribute to the visual "aging" of the paper.

In some cases, it is justified to apply the pigment to the sheet by splashing(for example, a finger from a toothbrush), because to reproduce many tiny dots with a regular brush is quite difficult and time consuming. But at the same time, it must be borne in mind that the particles of the paint solution from the hard hair of the brush “scatter” almost uncontrollably, so this technique requires a certain skill.

An interesting effect is given by the usual cling film, firmly attached to the still wet paint and then carefully removed from the sheet.

In conclusion, I would like to note that, in addition to the main ones outlined, there are many other private techniques and ways of working with watercolors.