Hi everyone! Today we’re diving into a super handy concept that totally transformed the way I approach painting landscapes: Carlson’s Theory of Angles. You know that moment when a light bulb just clicks? That was me when I first heard about this theory. I had always focused on value in my compositions, but this gave me a clear guide to establishing the values of the primary planes and masses in the landscape.
So, what’s the big idea here? It’s all about the fact that the different elements in your painting have different values, not because of their color, but because of the angles they present to the light. Yep, it’s that simple! Let’s break this down:
- The sky is our source of light, so it’s usually almost always the lightest value in the landscape, whether it’s a bright blue day or a moody gray sky. It’s still the top dog in terms of light.
- Next up is the ground plane, which receives light from the sky but isn’t the source of the light itself, so it’s slightly darker.
- Then we have the slanting planes.
- Finally, the uprights, like trees, which get the least light and are typically the darkest.
Here’s a little tip: when you’re painting, focus on representing the middle or average value of any given mass, not the darkest darks or the brightest lights. Think of those as accents, like the cherry on top.
Now, I like to keep things simple, so I use a six-value scale where the sky, ground plane, angle planes, and upright planes are represented by four values. Then I save black for those deep accents and white for the brightest highlights. Easy peasy, right?
Remember, these value divisions aren’t set in stone. Sometimes the values overlap, like when the light side of a tree is the same value as the ground. There are exceptions too, like snow or bright fall foliage, where the ground or uprights can actually be lighter than the sky.
Now, I know what you’re thinking: “Hey Marla, what about that bright building in the middle of my landscape?” Well, a building isn’t part of the natural landscape, is it? It’s man-made, so it plays by different rules. And those dark storm clouds? Well, we’re talking about the sky being the lightest value, not the clouds themselves.
The beauty of this theory is that once you get it, you can focus on the big value masses in your painting rather than getting lost in the tiny shifts. But don’t overthink it! Painting shouldn’t be like solving a math problem, and at some point, you’ve got to put brush to canvas and just have some fun.
Happy Painting,
Marla
