Illumination is a fine art. It can be seen in the photographs of Ansel Adams, the cinematography of Haskell Wexler, and the paintings of Caravaggio. Take away illumination and there is no color, no shadow, no contrast and no art, no science, no plant life, no anything. Light splits the darkness and is the and is the fundamental building block of life, and hence art and culture. Light is a huge invention. Yet most people treat light like a forgotten mistress. The giant solar orb rises and they can see just fine. The sun goes down and the houselights come on. The house lights could be candles, incandescent bulbs, fluorescent lights, moon light or the glow of the television. The natural lighting of the sun, fluorescent lighting, and the glow of a light bulb all illuminate, but they are not the same. Light has a color temperature. Artists, cinematographers and interior decorators are well informed of the color temperature of lights. They use them to create the tone they want. Understanding color temperature is an important skill for any artist or designer.
Color temperature is discussed in terms of warm and cool. The warmest temperatures run in the reddish hues, the coolest in the bluish hue. Average person on the street associate heat with color, thinking the hottest light source would produce the warmest colors. The opposite is occurs. The sun has blue tones and a candle has red tones. A candle is perhaps the easiest way to understand this range of tones. The hottest part of the flame is the section nearest to the burning surface. This area of the fire is usually blue. The edge of the fire is yellow, orange and sometimes even a bit red. This can also be illustrated in the passing of the sun. In the mornings and evenings, the rising or setting sun is red, while the midday sun shines down hot and blue. Our eyes view sunlight as white and therein exists the challenge in photography, cinematography and design.
The human eye operates like one of the best filters ever created. Whenever the eyelid opens, the eye and the brain work work in conjunction with each other to determine color. A space painted white lit by tungsten lightbulbs will appear white. During the day the same wall still seems to be white. The ocular nerves and the mind adjust. This is demonstrated when taking a photograph with the camera white balanced incorrectly. If it is white balanced for daylight and the room is lit by light bulbs it will appear very yellow. If it is white balanced for electric lights and shot when lit by daylight the picture will appear very blue.
Interior designers, photographers, filmmakers and painters all take into account color temperature. The room paint whatever color it is, will vary with the quality of light. A good designer considers the color of paint in tandem with the source of light. Colors help create ambiance. Even when the untrained eye thinks it is looking at white, the body responds to different color tones.
Knowing color temperature is a great skill for anyone interested in art or home design.
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