What Color is White?

White light is actually all the various colors of light united together as one - every single color of the rainbow combined gives us the miracle and beauty of light!  Remember, as a kid, looking through a prism?  Remember how the prism would separate white light into a "rainbow"?  Gorgeous, right?  Well, that multitude of color found in white light is what I try to capture in  the white objects I paint.

 

Take a close look at this photo of the small white pitcher, to the right.  Notice the myriad colors included in the white of the pitcher? See violets, golds, blues, greens, and even fuchsia? In shadow areas those colors were layered, producing "colorful grays," as well!  Notice on the bottom of the pitcher the rich golden reflection of the tabletop? (*You can click on the photo to enlarge it.)

 

Where on the pitcher can you find "true white"?  Surprisingly, nowhere! Even the "lightest light" is not true white; though it's a bit warmer than the white paint from the tube, it's been warmed up with a bit of yellow.

 

In fact, the other areas of the pitcher are significantly darker and more colorful than the "lightest light" on the pitcher, yet the eye sees them as "white" because those darker areas are within the value range that our brain registers as "the value of a shadow on a white object."

 

Also, notice how the richest color occurs where the shadow meets the light - there, we see gorgeous lavenders and pinks.  (Note:  See the reflection on the right of the pitcher?  It was light reflected by the lemon laying on the table, next to the pitcher, but not yet painted.)

 

Now look , below, at the pitcher with the blue design added to its surface.  Doesn't the reflection on the right of the pitcher make even more sense, once you see the placement of the lemons?  (***You can click on any of these images to view them larger.)

Scroll down further, if you'd like to see the finished painting.

 

Here is the completed painting, The Fragrance of Summer, showing additional objects that are also "white"! (Note: The black borders on the right and left of the image are not part of the painting - they were recently used to create a "square format" for publication purposes.)

 

 

The Fragrance of Summer by Diane Reeves

 

 

Hope this little Mini Lesson helps the next time you paint a white object!!

See you soon!!