Science, Shadows and the Dutch Masters of Art

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Judith

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Leyster

Lived 1609-1660 (over 300 years ago) She studied with Artist Frans Hals, in Holland By her 20’s she had her own painting school and was the only female member of Harlam’s painter’s guild. Self-Portrait by Judith Leyster, 1630, National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C. She married, had 5 children and moved to Amsterdam and was known as a genre and portrait specialist. Most of her paintings were wrongly credited to Frans Hals and lost her artistic legacy 2

Baroque or Golden Dutch

The Baroque or Golden Dutch period of art captured many ordinary people, and those wealthy enough to hire a professional painter. Why didn’t they just take a picture? Known for painting style of “chiaroscuro” painting technique that uses strong light and dark values to create high contrast and the illusion of depth and space.

The Jester by Judith Leyster, 1625 Oil Painting Notice the bright light coming in from the left. The hand blocks the light and a shadow is 3 CAST onto the musical instrument. See the

Rembrandt Van Rijn

Self Portrait with Gorget by Rembrandt, 1629 Oil on Oak panel, The Hague, London • Born in Netherlands in 1606 and died in Amsterdam in 1669 • He was a skilled painter and by 19 opened his own art studio to teach others 4

Rembrandt Van Rijn

Self Portrait with Gorget by Rembrandt, 1629 Oil on Oak panel, The Hague, London • • In 1631 he moved to Amsterdam to paint portraits professionally • Rembrandt is one of the most famous painters in the world Blur your eyes-Do you see the shadows on each part of the face?

Self Portrait by Rembrandt, 1660 Oil on Canvas, Metropolitan Museum of Art 5

The Night Watch by Rembrandt, 1642 Oil on Canvas, Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam

Rembrandt Van

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Rijn

One of his most famous artworks recording the Officers and Men of Company of Captain Frans Banning Cocp and Lieutenant Wilhelm van Ruytenburgh • Unique in composition-typically groups were all painted in “boring”rows, but Rembrandt arranged guards in a dynamic interesting way!

• Notice the shadows the captains hand casts onto the Lieutenant’s yellow uniform. 6

Science of Shadows

• • • • The vocabulary used to describe shadows in art come from shadow descriptions in astronomy. The umbra is the darkest part of shadow where the light is completely blocked by the object-to create this the cast shadow is darkest next to object and crisp.

The penumbra is the area that only part of the light is blocked to create this the shadow gets fuzzier and softer as it extends away from the object.

Why are shadows important in art? They help make an object look 3-dimensional as well as create the illusion of space within an artwork.

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Shadows and Value to Create Illusion of Form

Value is changes in light to dark to create the illusion of volume, space, depth.

• • A simple value scale showing steps from light to dark. This all translates to how each object has a highlight (lightest value), middle tone (middle values), form shadow (darker values) and cast shadow (darkest value) and reflection (light value) in order to look 3-dimensional.

10 step value scale

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Shadows and Value to Create Illusion of Form

*Star the highlight (lightest value), * middle tone (middle values), * form shadow (darker values) and * cast shadow (darkest value) so we remember those are what we use next on our objects.

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10 step value scale

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Let’s Practice

1. First we will all try the circle and say our light is coming from the left.

2. With the side of your pencil, add a curved line to the right side of the circle. That is the core shadow of the object . ** Shade in a parallel curves that match the wall of the object. Try not scribble or shade in various directions.

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Let’s Practice

3. On the left corner of circle lightly draw a curve for the hightlighted area.

(this stays white or lightest value) 4. In light to medium tones, shade the middle of the ball with parallel curved lines. **Use your paper towel wrapped tightly around your pointer finger to blend and soften, light to dark staying inside the main circle shape.

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Let’s Practice

5. To add a CAST shadow, lightly sketch an oval from the middle of the bottom of circle.

** The edge under the sphere (the umbra) to the circle is the darkest value.

**As the shadow moves away from the object it gets lighter in value and fuzzier (penumbra). **Use your gum eraser to clean up any areas that got too dark or smeared. 12

Let’s Practice-Cube

*Establish where light is by drawing an arrow 1. Core shadow on object 2. Highlight stays white 3. Medium tones 4. Blend with paper towel around pointer finger.

5. Use your gum eraser to clean up any areas that got too dark or smeared. Smooth with towel.

6. Add in cast shadow to look like ground (the umbra is darkest) **Now you’ve made a 2-d square transform to a 3-d cube!

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Let’s Practice-Cone & Cylinder

*Establish where light is by drawing an arrow 1. Core Shadow on object 2. Highlight stays white 3. Medium tones 4. Blend with paper towel around pointer finger.

5. Use your gum eraser to clean up any areas that got too dark or smeared. Smooth with towel.

6. Add in cast shadow to look like ground (is Umbra the darkest?) **Now you’ve made a 2-d shapes transform to a 3-d FORMS!

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Triangle to Cone Cylinder

Value, Shadows and Forms Combined

Changing value in each part of an object so there is a highlight, middle tone, form shadow and cast shadow is how drawing and painting look 3-dimensional instead of 2-d and flat.

Think of some of your favorite characters from movies and try combining forms to make them appear 3-d like the movie animators do.

Try in color pencil on color paper now.

Review and Closure

• What is the science word for the darkest part of a cast shadow?

• Who were the 2 Dutch artists we talked about?

• • What does “chiaroscuro” mean?

When shading what are the 4 values to make a 3-d form? • For more practice look at the book Snowman at Night and use color pencils on color paper to draw characters with highlights, midtones, core shadow and cast shadows.

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What is the science word for the darkest part of a cast shadow? Umbra • Who were the 2 Dutch artists we talked about? Judith Leyster and Rembrandt • What does “chiaroscuro” mean? High contrast of light and dark values in artwork to create drama • When shading what are the 4 values to make a 3-d form? lightest (highlight), midtone, medium tone (core shadow), darkest (cast shadow).

• For more practice look at the book Snowman at Night and use color pencils on color paper to draw characters with highlights, midtones, core shadow and