Optical Red

Alexandra Tyng · 01-08-2006, 11:02 PM

Thank goodness the Forum is up and running again! But I guess to resurrect this thread I'm going to have to write another post. I'd still like to know whether anyone else uses "optical red" or any other colored light halo at the edge of a lit form against a dark background. I would really like to see some more examples. I'm also curious about historical precedent, and which artists used it in the past. Does anyone know?

Julie Deane · 01-09-2006, 02:17 PM

I'm providing the link to a sample by Steven Assael. Go to the second picture in the link and you'll see extreme optical red plus a lot of that white glow you've mentioned.

http://www.forumgallery.com/2005/e_assael.htm

Allan Rahbek · 01-10-2006, 04:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alexandra Tyng

I'm also curious about historical precedent, and which artists used it in the past. Does anyone know?

Alex,
I found this painting by Repin. It shows how he painted a lighter area around the white coat. This is apparently not a transparent white, but it has the same effect, it makes the white clothe glow.

Allan

Alexandra Tyng · 01-11-2006, 09:15 PM

Very interesting, Allan! Thanks for posting this. An idea is forming in my head about the color of the object in relation to the color of the halo. I think maybe the halo is one step less bright or less direct because it is refracted off the object.

Carol Norton · 01-12-2006, 10:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alexandra Tyng

Very interesting, Allan! Thanks for posting this. An idea is forming in my head about the color of the object in relation to the color of the halo. I think maybe the halo is one step less bright or less direct because it is refracted off the object.

Thank you for this comment, Alexandra. I have been mulling this over in my mind, too. I will be very interested in other responses.

Allan Rahbek · 01-12-2006, 02:07 PM

Another example, by J. S. Sargent, from the great painting of Charles Stuart carrying the Great Sword at the Coronation of King Edward # 7.
By the firm handling of the effect it looks as this was a routine "trick" from Sargent.
Allan

Richard Budig · 01-13-2006, 08:15 PM

Here are some words from the

Alexandra Tyng · 01-14-2006, 08:14 AM

Richard, this is wonderful! Just the kind of information we were needing. As I was suspecting, "optical red" is one of a whole spectrum of light halos. The color of the halo, if I am digesting this correctly, is determined by the color of the object off of which light is refracting, and the color of what is behind it.

Does the color of the refracted light lean towards the red end of the spectrum in comparison with the color of the object itself in direct light? I have noticed that the atmospheric color, which shows up as an object turns away from the source of light, is usually slightly more towards the red end of the light spectrum than the color of the object in direct light.

Claudemir Bonfim · 01-12-2006, 01:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alexandra Tyng

Very interesting, Allan! Thanks for posting this. An idea is forming in my head about the color of the object in relation to the color of the halo. I think maybe the halo is one step less bright or less direct because it is refracted off the object.

I use paint to make that effect, but I've seen some painters using maroger with a little mixed white and others just mixing the edges. Well, the result is the same anyway.