Sketch Series 3!

Light and Fabric.

Different types of light sources (lamps) give off different "shades" of light.  A hue can look completely different under an incandescent bulb when compared to a CFL.  How does the color temperature of the light affect warm vs. cool hues?  Does the texture of the object have a role?

Lighting In and Around Gatewood Studio

Both warm and cool fabric samples looked the most muted under the incandescent light.  The overcast sun produced the best color rendering and the most clear textures.  The third fabric sample was a bright blue with a glossy finish, and I found that one most difficult to photograph under the LED, M16, and in the direct sun lighting conditions.  The CFL's in the studio proved to be the most neutral when compared to the other 5 conditions - definitely a good thing since light neutrality is imperative in a studio environment!

Sketch Series 2!

Layers of lighting in different public settings. . . .
Is the light scheme purposeful to the function of the space?

African American Atelier Gallery, Greensboro, NC



Mother Tucker's Eatery, Greensboro, NC

Coldwater Creek, Greensboro, NC

I found this series to be challenging in that it is very difficult to express all the different layers of lighting that define a space in a perspective drawing.  Drawing in plan was an option but it doesn't give the viewer a sense of what the space feels like.
Generally, I don't draw perspectives looking up, so I feel like there is a disconnect between the ceilings and picture plane - also not a big fan of drawing recessed lighting in perspective!!

With regards to the way lighting was used in public spaces, I feel like there can always be a criticism of a better way to go about it.  Like we learned from our Tidewater Adventure, one may not always know or understand why design choices were made the way that they were.  For example, I cannot for the life of me figure out why anyone would put recessed "canned" halogen lighting 8 feet above the top of your head in a dressing room, then place the lights so each one is increasingly more off center from the room below it.  People look awful underneath a strong overhead light, especially in a small, dark space with high walls.  But for some reason, this seems to be the lighting situation of choice in dressing rooms.  Perhaps it is a fire hazard to put wall sconces in a dressing room?

Lighting Sketch Series 1

One sketch a week of the same spot, emphasizing natural light.
As time goes by and summer changes to fall, I note that the days are getting shorter and the angle of the sunlight through the windows is changing. . . .



First Week of September, 9 am



Second Week of September, 10 am




Third Week of September, around noon



First Week of October, 3 pm

 

 

For me, this sketch series was as much an exercise in different drawing techniques as it was in understanding different light angles over the course of time.  Depending on the time of day and the weather, the mood of the space could change dramatically.  Experimenting with drawing styles allowed me to express the feel of the space in different ways. 

I think this sketch series would be really interesting over an extended period of time.  What would 365 days of my dining room look like in an array?