Understanding Lighting in Art

A dapple of light.
Understanding light in art is a little different from understanding light in photography. Of course it is hugely beneficial to be a great observer of light in both art forms but in art you only need to know how to reproduce it on a canvas or surface, not actually manipulate it with modifiers.

What is important though is your observations of light and learning to ‘see light’ and it’s interaction with objects and landscapes. In learning how seasons change light, how weather, position, shadows and reflections affect light will lead you to better reproductions of it on the canvas.

You then need to translate those observations through the brush and paint, how to blend delicate tones and colours to bring a painting to life through the depiction of light.