Light
by Chad Nulty

Light, as defined by Websters Dictionary, is something that makes vision possible. The sensation aroused by stimulation of the visual receptors. An electromagnetic radiation in the wavelength range traveling in a vacuum with a speed of about 186,281 miles per second.

Light, as defined by www.lightandmatter.com, is anything that can travel from one place to another through empty space and can influence matter, but is not affected by gravity.

However, do these definitions explain the design elements that the florescent light is creating in this photo? Do they give any insight into the colors or contrast created by the light? While both of these definitions are correct, neither of them lend themselves to defining light as an element of design. To do this, you must look deeper. Most textbooks define 5 basic elements of design: color, line, shape, texture, and space. To define light as an element of design, you must first define color as an element of design. Within the definition of color you discover the definition and role of light as an element of design.

Color - The visual response to the wavelength of light, identified as red, blue, green, etc. Color depends on light because it is made of light. There must be light for us to see color. A red shirt will not look red in the dark, where there is no light. The whiter the light, the more true the colors will be.

In this photograph, different light sources and the different objects proximity to these various light sources create different contrasts, colors, and intensity of colors.

Color has three main Characteristics: Value, Hue, and Intensity.

Value- The relative degree of light or dark. The characteristic of color determined by light or dark, or the quantity of light reflected by color. This type can be read because of the contrast of dark letters and light background. Value contrast is also eveident in color, which enables us to read shapes in paintings. This photo of light coming through the blinds shows that the amount of light you see is determined by the amount of light allowed to show. The amount of light determines the relative degree of light and dark, thus creating colors of white, black, and shades of gray. It is also apparent in the additional pictures below.

Hue- Designates the common name of a color and indicates it's position in the spectrum of on the color wheel. In the photo on the left, the light shining through the wine bottle creates different shades of yellow based on where the light hits it. This is similar to the different shades of yellow on the a color wheel and their proximity to each other.

Intensity- The saturation, strength or purity of a color. As defined in the definition of color, the whiter the light, the more true the colors will be. As in this photo, the backlight behind the advertisement is a more intense and whiter light, therefore the colors are more vivid than its surroundings.

According to our text book Computers, Graphics, and Learning, Lloyd P. Rieber defines a pixel as a single point of light on the computer screen. A single graphic, such as the one of a computer screen displayed here, consists of a matrix of on or off pixels (or "0" or "1", either of which defines a "bit" of information on a computer). One can more easily understand bit-mapped graphics by imagining that the computer screen is a matrix of tiny light bulbs. (page 72) So, light is an element of design in every computer graphic, because it is the source of the color being displayed.

• The raft of the Medusa - canvas, 1819, Theodore Gericault
  www.paris.org/musees/louvre/treasures/gifs/medusa.html
  The perceived light is this painting creates contrast between the objects being illuminated vs. the objects receiving no light. Also, the only color in this painting is where the light is hitting it.



• Liberty Leading the People - canvas, 1830, Eugene Delacroix
  www.paris.org/musees/louvre/treasures/gifs/liberty.html
  The intensity of the perceived light in this painting makes the colors of the flag, red, white, and blue, richer and more intense than the other colors not directly in front of the light.

Bibliography:

• Merriam Websters Collegiate Dictionary, tenth edition, (First Printing 1993)
• www.lightandmatter.com
• www.tuhsd.k12.az.us/mountain_pointe_hs/art/design_tech/artterms.html
• Computer, Graphics, and Learning, Lloyd P. Rieber, The University of Georgia - Athens, Copyright 2000
• www.paris.org/musees/louvre/treasures.html