Understanding Form’s role as a design element is increasing our ability to see in the third dimension. Our ability as artists is greatly enhanced by our ability to see the objects we are painting not as the objects themselves but as three-dimensional forms, and then breaking these 3D forms down even further and seeing the forms as different planes or facets, each pointing in different directions. Doing so will give you a much simpler understanding as to what is happening with the Light, which leads to insight on how best to capture these forms in paint.
Form gives depth to the shapes we identify. A trapezoid can lay flat on your surface as a road into the distance or become an upright plane in the Hancock building. A triangle lying flat can be the flicker on a wave or, in an upright plane, it can be a mass of trees on a skyline.
Increasing our awareness and understanding of these forms, whether you see strong evidence of them or not, gives you the confidence to make solid choices and confident shapes that make your paintings deeply connected to your experience.
Normals:
In my many years as an artist and 3D animator building scenes and environments on the computer, there is a term the industry uses that helps us see the third dimension. The term is Normals. This is a new term; I want everyone to learn what Normals (n) are and do. A Normal is the direction an imaginary line is drawn perpendicular to its Surface (s). This line is the shape’s ‘normal.’ When we are observing, look for these flat and upright planes on forms. Take note of their Normals. These Normals point to clues as to Light’s influence (Value and Color) on this surface in relation to where you are standing and the surface’s reflective quality and texture.
For example, you see this effect especially played out when painting water and waves. The fluid dynamics of water is the most complex example to understand Normals. And when you understand all that’s happening in water and waves, you’ll start to use this same knowledge in all your plein air scenes.
A little lesson on water:
First, understand three things:
- Your eye’s placement in 3D space is also called your POV or Point of View.
- The reflective property of the surface of the thing you are looking at; in this case, water is both very reflective on the surface, very transparent when thin, translucent when thick, and opaque when it’s foamy.
- The color and value of the environment that may be influencing your water shapes’ value and color.
From your POV, the normals point to the part of the sky that then influences the shape that that particular plane will be pointing to. If the normal is pointing directly at you, chances are good that you’re looking into the water. When the wave’s normal is pointing up and away toward the sky’s horizon, and because the wave is a smooth and very reflective surface, you’ll see the lighter sky’s influence on those shapes. When the wave bends up, and the normals point directly up to the bluer sky, those shapes will be darker blue. When you’re looking more directly at the waves and you see into the water, the shapes will become darker and warmer, because there’s less sky influencing these shapes and the warmer wet sand is showing itself through the water.
Graphic showing wavey surface
Take a look at this Video I took at St. George Island, FL, showing waves in slow motion.
Use your imagination to see these surface normals all pointing to different directions.
Use Light and Value to convey the 3D Forms you are seeing.
Light’s influence on these forms is what gives the form its Value and Color, two Design Elements we’ll discuss in subsequent weeks. If the form is in the background, the light’s effect within the atmosphere will affect the value much more than color will.
With forms painted in the middle ground, Light’s effect on value and color play an equal role. Light’s effect on foreground forms will have slightly more importance on color over value.
Following these general guidelines will create within your paintings good atmospheric perspective and depth.
Focus on Forms, Planes and Shapes – Lights and Shadows
Study how the lights (warm and cool) fall over, around, and through these forms, planes, and shapes and how these shapes really define your forms. Sharpening this one “tool” will increase your shapes’ solidness, creating a stronger end product.
When observing, really look for the forms, planes, and shapes the lights are defining. Be less concerned in how well you copy the scene, and more concerned in how real the planes, shapes, and forms are depicting the lights.
Sunlight warms up the planes facing the sun. The blue-sky light cools off the planes facing the sky and facing away from the sun. Keep in mind bounce light, reflecting off adjacent planes, affecting the warmth or coolness of the shadows.
From: Carlson’s Guide to Landscape Painting – John F. Carlson
From: How to Paint Landscapes Quickly and Beautifully – Nathan Fowkes
Now, when you’re out and about looking for scenes to paint, don’t just look at a pretty scene and say, “Oh, I think I want to copy this scene.” Take a photo if you want a copy. Instead, be mindful (mindfulness) first of the lines within your scene and perhaps a story.
Then see the big three to five main shapes. Notice where the light is coming from and ask, “Can I simplify these shapes even more?” Notice the three grounds these shapes occupy -background, middle ground, and foreground. Now start to look for the 3D forms that are filling these grounds. Good questions to ask:
- What is this scene telling me? What’s the story? Who’s my hero? (center of interest)
- What shapes and forms are making up this scene?
- Where’s my main light source? (Typically, the sun)
- Where’s my secondary light source? (Typically, the blue sky)
- Are there interesting shapes? Can I make them more interesting?
- Where is my center of interest?
- Where are the pathways that lead the eye to this center of interest?
- Is there Balance? Dynamic Tension? Movement?
- What can I eliminate or simplify to make this a stronger, more connected, and compelling painting?
- If I had to reconstruct this scene for a local opera company, what is the bare essence needed to get my story across? What primitive 3D forms do I need to start construction?
Answering these questions and writing them down in your sketchbook makes you deeply connected to this scene and will even more deeply affect the way you paint it.
For example:
Look for the primitive forms of spheres, cones, cubes, and blobby masses. All these forms are available to you for building your scene. Notice the light falling on these forms and imagine perpendicular lines pointing from these surfaces. These are your normals. Now notice the reflections, color, and temperature variations on these surfaces. These normals will give you clues to the reflective properties or texture of these surfaces.
Referencing the painting below, I enjoy painting simple woodland scenes and I love it when I can zoom into simple shapes to compose a good composition. By zooming in, we lose any direct sky shapes. However, the coolness of the sky is still present… it is reflective on the leaves turning upwards toward the sky. These leaves’ normals are pointing to the sky. The texture of these leaves is smooth, so the reflective property is shiny. The smoothness of these quivering aspen leaves easily does a great job of reflecting the coolness of the sky above. So, if your scenes don’t include any sky shapes, always be alert to the sky’s influence within your scene on your 3D forms. Play off these temperature changes with shapes of paint that rhythmically bring the eye back to the hero of your story.
Knowing that these effects are happening, whether you see strong evidence of it or not, gives you the confidence to make choices, embellishments, and exaggerations that make your paintings deeply connected to your experience and better than any camera could ever capture.
