Light Box

Shadows of Light

An Exploration of Shadow Cast by Colored Light



Light Sketch 3

 

Textured Fabrics Under Various Lamp Types 

 

 

Light sketch four required our light box group to go on a scavenger hunt for different light sources and document how each affects the appearance of color and texture. We chose four very textured fabrics in warm and cool colors and photographed them with a variety of lamp types. The lamp types we used were fluorescent, LED, halogen, and HID. Not only did we document the different sources but we also documented them in daylight and night conditions.

 

It is clear to see how some lamp types can drastically change the color of the fabric. One of the most interesting changes is documented in the HID lamp. The green swatch (the last one) looks vastly different under the same lamp, in different natural lighting conditions.

 

 

 

 

 



Light Sketch 2

 

 

 

 

Analyzing Lighting Conditions

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

 

The retail establishment had fluorescent, halogen track and incandescent sconces. The three different types gave the space plenty of light showcase the clothing. The track lighting along the wall gave a little glare on the walls. I would recommend possibly a lower watt bulb there.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The museum space had halogen track lighting set up along the side walls and another set towards the middle running parallel to the wall. The ones in the middle were pointed towards the sculpture and walls. Only a few of the lights against the walls were being used and they were pointed toward the sculpture as well. This gave a beautiful effect of shadows in the space and really highlighted the sculpture but wasn’t overpowering on the wall artwork.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The restaurant had adequate lighting for the space. They had halogens lamps on a string type strip. This created a nice ambient light. The space had windows that let in some nice natural lighting on the corners and some niches that appeared to have some up lighting.

 

Light Sketch 1

 

 

 

 

Finding Lighting Conditions

 

 

 

 

 

In searching for lighting conditions, my partner, Monica Clendenin, and I went to the Weatherspoon Art Museum on the campus of UNCG. As lighting is integral in displaying art and properly illuminating public spaces, we believed the museum to be a great place to find various lighting condition examples.

 

 

This is good example of a lighting example that evokes a relaxed response. This is a passage way behind a display wall that leads from one gallery to another. This passage way exhibits physical properties that are calming and serene and acts as a visual break between the gallery spaces, through the use of little color and a curvilinear niche in the wall. There are large windows that appear to remain covered by a sun-blocking shade which allows the ceiling lamps to perpetuate the feeling of serenity in the space. Most of the contrast in the space comes from the shadow and light play of the ceiling lamps and the curve in the wall. These shadows create subtle visual interest while maintaining calm and serenity.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The lobby of the Weatherspoon Art Gallery is spacious and its lighting condition accentuates its spaciousness. The floor is a highly reflective, dark stone and the walls are bright white. Additionally, the central gallery space is an atrium that has natural light flooding through the clerestory, illuminating the vast whiteness of the walls. The adjacent hall that leads to the galleries is lighted with warm ceiling lamps that help to delineate the space by creating contrast to the atrium. The specular surface of the floor reflects the light and shadow of the space which adds to the feeling of spaciousness in this environment.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The following are Monica's descriptions of the other two spaces:

 

My partner Shelley Gates and I went to the Weatherspoon gallery as we thought we could capture some unique light effects there since the walls are mostly white and they use light to accent the art and space. I will discuss two of the four pictures. The first sketch is the gift shop. This shop had an overall hazy effect. In the picture I took you couldn’t even see the light fixture itself because the light was so bright that it blurred out what was around it. The light was fairly light elsewhere and this extremely bright light created a hazy effect.

 

The second sketch is the Hallway. The overhead lights and the shadows they created had a beautiful effect on the space. I also like how the light fixture paralleled the shadow making a V shape. It made you want to just stand there and really experience the space and let the effect soak in.

These next two are the lobby space and a seating area. Shelley discussed these two on her blog. We each sketched our two then traded off to finish and shade them. I am pleased with how the drawings turned out and even more intrigued by lighting design.