Light for Visual Artists: Understanding and Using Light in Art & Design

by Richard Yot

This introduction to light for students and visual artists explores the way light can be used to create realistic and fantastical effects in a wide range of media. Divided into three parts, the clearly written text explains: the fundamental properties of natural and artificial light; how to create realistic images by observing people and the environment; the creative use of light in composition and design. Updated with revised photos and artwork, as well as 15 practical exercises and new online video material, this second edition is an indispensable resource for animators, digital illustrators, painters, photographers, and artists working in any medium.

Genres: Art, Drawing, Nonfiction, Photography, Design, Reference

176 pages, Paperback

First published April 25, 2011

Reviews

[Parka · Rating 5 out of 5]

(More pictures at parkablogs.com)

This is a useful book authored by Richard Yot to help artists understand light.

It's 176 pages and is pretty comprehensive. The chapters are split into three categories. The first looks at the basic lighting fundamentals, which are the basic principles of light and shadows, their qualities, colours and how we perceive surfaces. The second looks at lighting with people and environment. The last looks at specific uses of lighting for staging and composition, setting mood and giving the illusion of time and place.

The text is clear and detailed. There are lots of photos, 3D computer generated images, a few drawn art, and some film stills in later chapters.

It's interesting to read about things we see daily and don't really think about why they look that way. Examples like why some wet surfaces are darker, how the colour of the sky changes throughout the day, finding the true colour of shadows.

It's not a tutorial book so you won't learn any techniques. It's a theory book that highlights those principles so that you can make use of them to create more realistic and believable work. The principles can be easily applied to other medium.

This is not the only book around on light. If you're more of a traditional artist, I recommend checking out James Gurney's Color and Light: A Guide for the Realist Painter. Many of the topics are similar bot James Gurney's book added colour schemes and other subjects more useful to artists.

[Oana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wasn't really sure what to expect from this book, as it isn't squarely aimed at 3D artists, but is more of a general reference.

It really is a marvelous book for 3D, digital and traditional artists. Although it doesn't hold your hand and show you how to create each effect, it's a great resource listing many types of light and examples of each.

It covers basic studio lighting setups, outdoor and indoor light, natural light, various shadow properties, the way light reacts to different types of materials like chrome and translucent objects, colour bleeding and everything in between. I especially love the way each type of lighting discussed comes with the same picture of a white ball on a white background, so you can compare with other chapters and study the differences.

Although many of the subjects covered are not new, and anyone who has studied light in a decent capacity will probably know most of the contents, this book still has fantastic value as a reference tool, a cheat sheet for whatever you're working on.

I'm very impressed and would recommend this to anyone interested in lighting, both in 3D, 2D, and even film/photography.

[Marco Klein · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very illustrative and insightful book that focuses on the effect and characteristics of light, particularly across all types of visual media and art forms, such as painting, photography and graphic design. Basic principles of light and shadow are examined, as well as our perception, and various other effects, such as reflection, transparency and colours. The use of light in relation to depicting people, the natural and built environment, and interiors is further inspected.


To see and make use of light artistically requires understanding of its principles and effects, as well as our perception. Light can be used to shape feelings, mood and direct the eye of viewers intentionally. Light has symbolic aspects and can evoke memories of time and place, and composing with light can shape narrative in all art forms, not just movies, where it is very often used to great effect.

[Nathan Pilgrim · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is divided in three parts, in diminishing order of depth.
The third part can be useful for the begginer, but it can be skipped entirely, orreplacedwith a better book about cinema.

Overall it is a good book, but maybe not worth of paying full price, but a great find as a second hand.

[Filip Rastovic · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. A LOT of information in it. Very useful if you're into 3D art and rendering.

[Jackie Honda · Rating 5 out of 5]

The kind of book once you finish reading, your surroundings are no longer the same.

Very helpful.

[Trần Văn Tiến · Rating 5 out of 5]

Done.

[Manish Jadhav · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read with alot of pictorial examples for each concept. Much of a long and slow read book with doing hands-on practical simultaneously .

[Manish Jadhav · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read with alot of pictorial examples for each concept. Much of a long and slow read book with doing hands-on practical simultaneously .

[Bugzmanov · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is very thorough when it comes to description of what is light and how it behaves in different context with different objects. But I wish is was more systematic. It feels a lot like fire hose of facts. And it makes the book quite boring to read.

[Philip Goodwillie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant easy to read book that explains light in detail including the science behind it. After reading it you'll have a better understanding and appreciation of light and shadows. You don't have to be an artists to read this book, anyone can read enjoy it. Stay curious :)