Atmospheric Effects Part 1

Cyanometer

Sky Blue

• the sky is flat, not even blue
• Solar Glare: governed by proximity to the sun
• Horizon Glow: depends on angle above the horizon
• near the sun, clouds have dark centers and light edges
• with the sun shining behind the viewer, clouds are lightest and the tops and center
• smaller clouds are not as white
• the sky is a dull gray, dull green around the vicinity of the sun
• the blue in the sky is more saturated when it is further from the sun
• as we approach the sun, the colors are warmer
• Cyanometer: tool to match and measure sky colors
• As we move from the zenith to the horizon, the sky tends to get lighter because we are looking through more atmosphere
• the point of the darkest, deepest blue is called the "well of the sky"
• it is located at the zenith only at sunset and sunrise
• mix at least 4 colors to paint any given segment of clear blue sky

Atmospheric Perspective

Atmospheric Perspective

• the bold colors of the foreground gradually transform until they meet the sky
• the darkest areas are affected first
• bright white areas remain visible the longest in the far distance
• objects become infused with soft blue or violet
• colors lose their saturation
• sense of clarity also decreases, making distant areas appear blurry
• white clouds become more orange colored and lighter as they approach the horizon at midday
• atmospheric perspective only happens when air is illuminated
• the presence of dust, moisture, haze, or smog enhance atmospheric perspective

Reverse Atmospheric Perspective

Reverse Atmospheric Perspective

• general guideline of atmospheric perspective is "warm colors advance, and cool colors recede"
• in rare instances, this rule can reverse
• occurs when vapors or dust clouds hover in the air near the sun especially at sunrise and sunset
• conveys a sense of strangeness and excitement
• "consuming celestial fire"

Golden Hour

Golden Hour Lighting

• at dawn and dusk the colors become bold and dramatic
• makes the sky above a richer blue
• remaining sunlight is weaker in overall brightness and more orange/red in color
• forms take on a more golden color and the shadows are bluer than usual

Sunsets

Sunsets

• provide an infinite variety of colors because the sun is is interacting with so many layers of air, dust, and clouds
• if the air is full of moisture/dust, the sunset will be accompanied by more red and yellow clouds
• after sunset a gray layer rises up from the horizon in the anti-solar region
• eventually the warm colors drown out completely
• sometimes a soft, violet glow is all that remains until darkness
• during the first hour of the morning, the color progressions are reversed, often with pinker colors
• light hitting the tops of the clouds remain fairly white compared to the light that is closer to the ground
• higher clouds = whiter
• lower clouds = red/yellow
• it helps to premix colors before you arrive on the scene to paint

Fog, Mist, Smoke, Dust

Fog, Mist, Smoke, Dust

• contrast drops off rapidly as forms recede in space
• the sun cannot penetrate a deep, fog layer so the light reaching the ground seems to come from all directions
• when the mist is close to the ground and direct sunlight enters from above, the shadows are far lighter than they would be normally

Rainbows

Rainbows

• it does not matter whether the droplets reflecting the sunlight are close to the viewer or far away. Rather, the rainbow occupies an angle in relation to the viewer
• since the anti-solar point is at the center of the rainbow, all shadows in the scene should be oriented towards that point
• in the region between the primary and secondary rainbow, the sky appears slightly darker
• called "Alexander's dark band"
• colors of the rainbow should be lighter than the background
• paint a semi transparent soft-edged white arc first. Next, glaze colors over it

Skyholes and Foliage

Skyholes and Foliage

• silhouettes of trees are never completely solid
• skyholes and apertures in the foliage puncture the shape of the tree
• smaller skyholes should be painted a little darker than the actual sky color
• paint skyholes of various sizes and give them a ragged character
• in the spring, foliage is more transparent
• some trees cover the sky more than others
• look for a range in transparency