Capturing Light en Plein Air: Contrast, Qualities, and Mysteries

Impressionist painters capture the illusion of light in their paintings by the dynamic the use of color.

This is achieved by use of brilliant colors juxtaposed in simultaneous contrast which optically mix in the eye of the viewer at a distance.

DmitriWright. Provencal. Farnese Meadow. 48x60 Oil on Canvas Sold

Capturing Light

The idea of Capturing Light is supported by science for light is composed of color. Light is a color spectrum of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet.  Accordingly color and light are one to the impressionist. The application of color as light and light as color, which is interchangeable ideas, are used by the impressionist to convey what she or he is thinking and feeling about their subject matter.  

As the sun moves across the sky from dawn to dusk the light changes. An Impressionist plein air artist understands that there is a two and a half-hour window before there is a significant change in the light around them and on their subject matter.

From this understanding, impressionists are keen on these shifts in light, or one may say shifts of color. A shift in color and light may appear to be a dichotomy, but they are the same. They are the source material for impressionist to express their passion for the way things change in the light and the way one’s feelings about color.

What is interesting about impressionism is its embrace of both representations - a form of realism, and abstraction - a concept of idea. Impressionism gathers in both the real and the abstract through the use of color to complete the idea in the recognizable form to communicate their ideas, all of which are founded on the effect of light on one’s perception and sensibilities. 

Understanding The Elements of Light: Contrast, Qualities, and Mysteries

In order to apply color, one needs to be able to perceive and understand how light falls onto and affects an object, the space around the object, and how light is affected by the distance between the observer and the object. 

In understanding how light falls onto an object, a plein air artist can select to focus on one or more of the elements of light to express their idea. In natural impressionistic work, one can see captured an overall ambiance of light and movement of air as if charged particles of color are quivering throughout the canvas. The natural impressionists focused on the science of painting aerial and ambient light while the post-impressionist focused on the feel of color.

Light is a natural agent that stimulates our sight. An impressionist will perceive and sense the light, while a scientist will see and study the light. Yet an impressionist needs to do both.

See post of the 8 Elements of Light: What I have listed there are Eight Elements of Light composed of 3 categories.