Our CEO and founder of Art Center Information, artist Richard D. Burton, recently was invited to speak to a group of artists. He discussed the importance of using reflected light in realistic paintings. The discussion was much too long to repeat on the limited space of this blog post, so we selected some important segments of it and proud to pass it on to our artist friends. Please enjoy the following excerpts:

“It took me forever to use reflective light as a tool to create a more realistic, pleasant, and exciting painting. Now, I concentrate on it and am always seeking places in the painting where its use is beneficial to the overall picture. For example, artists often use shadows to help keep depth in their pictures, but there is no reason for them to lack interest or be uneventful when the use of reflective light can liven up the dark areas.

In pictures, shadows can be a large part of the overall composition; such as, a long shadow cast by a tall building. If you painted this large area a dull gray, it could make for a very drab and uninviting painting. My suggestion is to spice it up with reflective surrounding colors. It makes the painting so much more interesting and inviting. It gives the picture some OOMPH!

Mr. Burton continued on with his discussion, and ended it with a tip:

In conclusion, let me give you a helpful tip: moderation – don’t over do it. As important as reflected light may be in your paintings, don’t go blind searching for it. The important thing is that as an artist you are aware they are there, add them anywhere they will add spark to your work.

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