The colour of shadows
Mike Barr explains why the colours of shadows are rarely just darker versions of the areas not in shadow – SOMETHING THAT THE IMPRESSIONISTS USED TO GREAT EffECT
The easiest way to see the colour of shadows is to see them at the beach or in the snow. You will notice that on a sunny clear day shadows are very blue or purple, particularly late in the afternoon or morning. Some of us may never have noticed this, but it’s quite a revelation when you spot it.
Many impressionist artists really exaggerate these coloured shadows and even though they are more coloured than in real life, they look believable, simply because we are used to seeing those coloured shadows without even realising it!
The blue in shadows on a sunny day is there because the yellow of the sun is being blotted out by a solid object, so what is left to illuminate is mainly the blue sky, hence the blueness of the shadow. Of course, it is not all blue but a combination of blue and the original colour of the surface on which the shadow is cast. It is the subtlety of these combinations that need to be worked on to get it right. There is no real formula – it takes persistence, observation and patience.
The prevalence of blue is also experienced when taking a photograph in the shade. If there is blue sky visible it will cause a blue cast on the photo, which can be a bane when trying to take pictures of a plein-air piece.
The colour of the shadow is not only a combination of the original object’s colour (untainted by the yellow of the sun) and the sky, it can also include colours from sources nearby. For instance, the shadows of sand dunes have the colour of sand, the sky and the reflection of sunlit sand that may be nearby – and it’s a triumph when we get it right. The shadows in a still life are particularly susceptible to colours of local objects and understanding this can transform your work.
I remember one evening in Adelaide when two sets of street lights were at play. Some strong white spotlights were casting deep shadows on the pavement, but the shadows were very orange. The orange came from the
‘The blue in shadows on a sunny day is there because the yellow of the sun is being blotted out by a solid object’
street lights above that were illuminating the shadows cast from the white spotlights.
For sure, the colours in shadows are very subtle most of the time, but as artists we can enhance them and when we do, it will add another dimension to our work and bring them to life. A study of how other artists handle shadows can be an eye-opener and well worth the time to consider and then implement the knowledge in our own work.
Happy observing and painting!