Light is the composition

Artist Nard Kwast explores how light, shadow and colour shape a painting. Discover his approach and practical tips for creating stronger compositions by learning to look less at detail and more at the bigger picture.

Light and dark determine everything

Light isn’t something you add at the very end. From the very start, together with the shadow, it determines how your drawing will turn out.

Right from the start, you can ask yourself: where is my light coming from? Where do the shadows fall and where are the transitions that define the shape? A spotlight, daylight, sunshine or cloud cover: the same pose can look completely different as a result. Even an intriguing light coming from below creates a completely different atmosphere.

I once saw a beautiful painting of a woman lying on a Persian rug. A sharp beam of sunlight fell diagonally across her body and part of the rug. The light was so strong that you almost overlooked her. In fact, that beam of light was the composition. You only discovered the model when you looked more closely. It taught me just how expressive light can be.

Because without darkness, light does not exist in a painting. No matter how much white you use, it only begins to shine because of its counterpart. Just as warm and cool colours need each other, so do light and dark.

To use black or not?

One of the things I learnt in the past was that you shouldn’t really use black.

But after years of studying the Old Masters – including Rembrandt and other seventeenth-century painters – I’ve come to think differently about this. In fact, I’ve simply gone back to using black again. Just take a look at *The Anatomy Lesson* in the Mauritshuis; if you can’t see any black in there, I’m at a loss. Of course, that doesn’t mean that black automatically makes for a beautiful painting. It’s all about what you do with it.

And then there’s also something about white, because I actually never use it in its pure form just like that. After all, light always has a colour in nature. A white object outdoors is influenced by the sun, the blue sky and the colours in its surroundings.

Take snow, for example. In the shade, snow can turn a beautiful blue or violet. Conversely, a hint of colour in the white makes the sunlit snow stand out against the cool shade. That interplay of warm and cool makes the scene a pleasure to look at.

In nature, complementary colours often sit subtly side by side: blue and orange, yellow and purple, red and green. The Impressionists knew how to emphasise this effect. Think of the poppies in Monet’s green grass or Van Gogh’s café. It’s a feast for the eyes. If you’re aware of this, you can apply it in your own way too.

Artwork "Shells" By Nard Kwast.

Nard about the artwork:

in this artwork I play with real light and dark. In the middle shell, I create the lightest light and the greatest contrast. At the same time, the complementary colour contrast is also very subtly incorporated there: blue and orange light. Without that blue (Cobra King's Blue mixed with white), the whole painting wouldn’t work.

Depth and character in the shadows

Try to give the shadows a sense of depth and vibrancy by not covering them completely with paint. When I walk through my house in the dark, I still sense a kind of depth even though I can see almost nothing. After all, it isn’t a solid black expanse before my eyes, yet I still see nothing.

For me, Rembrandt is a brilliant example of this. Some of his works are dark, yet there is life in the shadows. Within that darkness lies an enormous amount of nuance. As a result, the darkness isn’t empty, but remains an integral part of the painting.

You can also achieve that sense of vitality in other ways. Warm and cool, saturated and muted, sharp and soft – these can all bring a painting to life. Just think of the shadows in Monet’s famous haystacks. There’s no black there, just colour.

You can guide the viewer’s gaze

I think that’s perhaps one of the most enjoyable discoveries. You can also use light, dark and colours to guide your viewer.

I once saw some beautiful portraits in which almost all the shadows were painted very softly. The shadow under the nose, around the mouth, in the hair and the clothing: nowhere were the contrasts excessively harsh. But the pupils were deep black and sharp.

And it worked brilliantly. As humans, we naturally look at a face and, above all, at the eyes. By using the sharpest contrast there too, the viewer’s gaze was drawn even more strongly to that spot.

You can also misuse the same principle. Suppose you paint a piece of jewellery next to those eyes that is just as sharp, dark and detailed. This almost creates a sort of visual short-circuit. You want to look at the eyes, but at the same time the jewellery draws your attention. The same can happen with a brightly coloured object in the background.

Artwork "Still life with ice skates" by Nard Kwast.

Nard about the artwork:

"Overall, it’s a bit more muted, but it’s precisely those splashes of colour from the scarf that create a sort of ‘pull’, drawing your attention naturally to that spot. So you can see that I’m trying to add colour very subtly, rather than going overboard."

Useful tips

Test your composition with your eyes half-closed
Squeeze your eyes half-shut and look through your eyelashes. Where does your attention go first? Try to see as few details as possible, so that only the large light and dark areas remain. Where is the greatest contrast? Which shapes almost disappear into the background? Where are the lightest highlights and the darkest shadows? This suddenly makes an image much simpler and clearer.

Make small colour studies beforehand
Try creating different variations using complementary colours from the colour wheel. For example, paint a small portrait, still life or landscape, but leave out all the details. With a face, you don’t need to paint the eyes, mouth or other details. At most, you can suggest the eye sockets and a small shadow under the nose. It’s all about the broad distribution of light, dark and colour.
You’ll often quickly discover which combination works best and which you find most appealing. Even with just a few small studies, you’ll get a sense of the atmosphere and colour effects of the final painting.

Studies like these have taught me that it’s sometimes better to first explore how light, dark and colour relate to one another, before getting lost in the details. I’ve learnt that details won’t save your artwork if something in the fundamentals isn’t quite right.

Perhaps that is ultimately one of the most important things I’ve learnt over the years about creating compositions: look at the whole picture first, and only then at the details. Light and dark largely determine what you ultimately see and where your gaze falls.

And that is precisely why, for me, light is no longer something you simply add to a painting. Light and dark are the composition.

Get started
Grab a pencil or some paint today and create your own small colour study without any details. Share your result and tell us: what did you discover about light and dark in your work?

About the author

This blog was written by Nard Kwast. Nard Kwast (1973) was born and raised in the north of the Netherlands. He lives and works in both the Netherlands and Belgium. His drawing talent developed at an early age and as a teenager he discovered his fascination for the seventeenth century old masters. His decision to take private lessons and immerse himself in classical oil painting techniques stems from a deep passion for these traditional methods and materials.

Over the past decades Nard has developed a distinctive style that clearly references the painters of the seventeenth century. He continues to explore and refine this style and enjoys sharing his knowledge through masterclasses.

Find out more about Nard

Light is the composition

Light and dark determine everything

To use black or not?

Depth and character in the shadows

You can guide the viewer’s gaze

Useful tips

About the author

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Light is the composition

Light and dark determine everything

To use black or not?

Depth and character in the shadows

You can guide the viewer’s gaze

Useful tips

About the author

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