How To Paint: a little light

Artists who paint are often?áfascinated with light. Light allows us to see; light forms the subject matter that?áis painted. When we paint, we are painting light both as it hits objects, and as it filters through atmosphere. However… sometimes we might like to paint actual light sources.?áHere is a?áshort example?áon how to paint a “Christmas Light”.

Each Sunday, artist Natasha Henderson?áwill guide you through some simple ÔÇ£How ToÔÇØ tips for painting. Having been (honestly) inspired at a young age by the oft-spoofed televised artist Bob Ross, Natasha would like to offer some simple tips on How To Paint Stuff.

Just like last week, this?átime I started with a piece of paper that I’d smudged some white acrylic paint on. Again, it is not 100% necessary to add the acrylic. If I had thick paper, and I’d wanted to allow the paper’s texture and absorbancy affect the paint’s effect, I could have worked directly on the paper.

I made a simple shape, similar to an Xmas light bulb.

Then, I made the “cords”. Most Xmas lights have a casement for the glass bulb, and then cords leading away from this. I?áopted to imagine a simple?ácord?ágoing each way, although in reality there are usually two twisted cords,?áper side, that lead?áaway in both?ádirections. Sometimes it is more poetic to rely on memory than observation. Who wants a painting of electrical cords?

Next, I smudged a little watery black down the middle of the bulb.

Then I wiped some of this paint away, quickly, with my finger. It smudged the paint, giving it a bit of a hazy effect, just like staring into a real light…

The most important thing right?ánow was to let this DRY. After it had dried, I painted some watered-down black around the bulb area. I left the imagined-light to “glow” in a circle around the bulb.

Next, I added more black, solidly, onto the outside area. The light isn’t reaching there at all…

The final, final step was to put a dab of pure white into the middle of the bulb.

If I wanted to create this image in colour, then I would glaze some colour into the image. Next week, I will do just that!

Paint on! Paint on.

Natasha Henderson, Montreal

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