Subtractive Theory of Color, Continued
Luminosity
When objects or paintings appear to have an inner glow, they are said to have
luminosity. Light appears to come from within. To create luminosity in
paintings, surround rich, pure hues with dark values or their opposite on the
color wheel. If the color is not pure, the results may be disappointing.
Several conditions contribute to the success of luminous painting, (1) the
luminous area must be small, (2) the color that is to be luminous must be
purer than surrounding color, (3) the color that is to be luminous must be of
a higher value than surrounding color, (4) the luminous color must prevail
over all other colors, and (5) other objects in the painting must appear soft
and hazy as if the viewer’s vision is blurred by the luminous object.
Figure 2-26 shows how light from the sparks thrown off by the grinder give
this photograph a luminous glow.
Figure 2-26.—Luminous sparks glow from this picture.
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