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Book cover of Look! Seeing the Light in Art
Art History & Movements, Art - General & Miscellaneous, Art Techniques & Activities

Look! Seeing the Light in Art

by Gillian Wolfe
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Overview

This exciting addition to a highly acclaimed series of art titles focuses on how artists use light in their paintings. Showcasing some of the most famous and best-loved artists of all time, the book shows how their paintings use dramatic light, mysterious light, cold light, hot light, dappled light, rainy light, and other forms of light. Gillian Wolfe's interactive technique encourages readers to engage with the works and to think about how they would employ these methods to recreate the same effect themselves. Conveying a substantial amount of information in an accessible and entertaining format, Look! Seeing the Light in Art lets readers of all ages think about what makes great paintings so successful and innovative, while offering them another point of entry to a wide range of famous works of art.

Synopsis

Beautifully printed on fine, glossy paper, this book introduces young readers to the enduring pleasures of art by showing how its makers use light. Author Gillian Wolfe draws on famous artists from various times and cultures, revealing how they depict dramatic light, mysterious light, cold light, hot light, dappled light, rainy light, light patterns, light shapes, and many more forms of light. Interactive exercises have readers look at a painting, unravel how the light was drawn, and give evidence for the conclusions they draw.

Children's Literature

Looking at light is the theme of this art book. It explains sixteen different ways artists use light in art. Dramatic light, mysterious light, cold and hot light, dappled light, stormy, and calm light are just a few of the artistic depictions of light that are explored. Each spread includes a famous painting that demonstrates a particular use of light. The text that accompanies each painting explains the technique as it is related to a situation in everyday life, then details how the artist utilized the technique in the particular painting. Each spread also includes a tip for a budding artist to try, and this is related to the type of light portrayed in the painting. This short book teaches young artists a tremendous amount of information about using light to make a painting stand out. However, the text is not boring. It speaks to the reader as a teacher sitting in the room would, trying to make it real. This book is recommended for young artists, art teachers, and anyone who appreciates art. The backmatter features more information about each painting reproduced in the book, including when it was painted, who painted it and a short bibliographic paragraph about the artist. Reviewer: Marcie Flinchum Atkins

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Editorials

Children's Literature - Marcie Flinchum Atkins

Looking at light is the theme of this art book. It explains sixteen different ways artists use light in art. Dramatic light, mysterious light, cold and hot light, dappled light, stormy, and calm light are just a few of the artistic depictions of light that are explored. Each spread includes a famous painting that demonstrates a particular use of light. The text that accompanies each painting explains the technique as it is related to a situation in everyday life, then details how the artist utilized the technique in the particular painting. Each spread also includes a tip for a budding artist to try, and this is related to the type of light portrayed in the painting. This short book teaches young artists a tremendous amount of information about using light to make a painting stand out. However, the text is not boring. It speaks to the reader as a teacher sitting in the room would, trying to make it real. This book is recommended for young artists, art teachers, and anyone who appreciates art. The backmatter features more information about each painting reproduced in the book, including when it was painted, who painted it and a short bibliographic paragraph about the artist. Reviewer: Marcie Flinchum Atkins

Kirkus Reviews

When we look at a painting, we receive an instant impression of subject, color, perspective and composition as they come together to form the work of art. Understanding some of the artist's choices and techniques can enhance our appreciation and enjoyment. That is exactly what Wolfe accomplishes, as she explores the way in which artists use light in their paintings. From the "mysterious light" in a Rousseau work, the "light shapes" in a Picasso work, to Fra Angelico's "heavenly light," Wolfe names the light in each of 18 paintings, ranging from the 15th to the 20th centuries. She addresses the reader directly, posing pertinent questions, focusing attention on key elements and suggesting artistic experiments. The paintings are presented singly or in contrasting pairs, and many have enlarged details. The endpapers are bright orange with a variety of descriptive words associated with light printed in many different fonts. Further information about the paintings, their artists and where they can be viewed is given in an addendum. An art lover's delight. (index) (Nonfiction. 7-12)

Book Details

Published
March 1, 2010
Publisher
Frances Lincoln Children's Books
Pages
48
Format
Paperback
ISBN
9781847800381

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