Lighting is an art. It can be seen in the pictures of Ansel Adams, the cinematography of Haskell Wexler, and the paintings of Caravaggio. Without light there is no color, no shadow, no contrast and no art, no science, no plant life, just a big fat empty void. Light fills the void and is the and is the fundamental building block of life, and hence art and culture. Light is a big invention. Yet most people treat light like a forgotten mistress. The giant solar orb rises and and they grumble ’cause the got to get out of bed. The glowing orb sets and the streetlights come on. The house lights could be oil lamps, incandescent bulbs, fluorescent lights, moon light or the glow of the television. The suns natural light, fluorescent lighting, and the glare of a 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 talked about in terms of warm and cool. The hottest temperatures run in the reddish hues, the coolest in the bluish hue. Most people on the street associate heat with color, thinking the hottest light source would produce the warmest colors. The opposite is true. 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 section of the flame that is hottest is the section nearest to the burning surface. This part of the fire is usually blue. The edge of the fire is yellow, orange and sometimes even a bit red. Color Temperature can also be illustrated in the passing of the sun. In the cooler hours of the day, the rising or setting sun is red, while the noon day sun beats down hot and blue. Our eyes see the daylight as white and that is the challenge in photography, cinematography and design.

The human eye works like one of the finest filters ever invented. In any given situation, the eye and the brain work together to produce the interpretation of color tone. A room with white walls lit by tungsten lightbulbs will appear white. During the day the same wall still seems to be white. The ocular nerves and the brain adjust. This can easily be seen by taking a photograph with the camera adjusted to the wrong color temperature. If it is white balanced for sunlight and the room is illuminated by tungsten light it will appear very yellow. If it is white balanced for electric lights and shot under sunlit conditions the picture will appear very blue.

Cinematographers, artists and designers all take into account color temperature. The paint on the wall whatever color it is, will vary with the quality of light. A good designer considers the color of paint under the various lighting sources that will illuminate the room. Colors help create ambiance. Even when a person believes they are looking at white, the body reacts to the warm and cool tones.

Understanding color temperature is a helpful tool for anyone interested in art or home design.

1. Red Light, Green Light, Blue Light, Source Light: What Color Is Your Light? A key consideration of any home or office remodel or...
2. Fans of Bbq and the Color Blue, Read on! You can find only two types of barbecue grills, namely,...
3. Don’t Forget to Check your Windshield Wiper Blades this the Cold Weather Gets Here As a lover of cars I spend a more than...
4. Don’t Forget to Check your Windscreen Wipers Before the Cold Weather Sets In As a lover of cars I spend a more than...
5. Don’t Forget to Check your Windscreen Wiper Blades this the Cold Weather Sets In As a lover of cars I spend a more than...