Painting into the Light

Art Book Review – May 2024

Contre jour is a tricky technique to pull off successfully and, let’s be honest, not something you’re going to attempt every day. I think we can therefore file this under “niche”. Sometimes, however, the subject you want only works in a certain light and that’s where Jenny comes to the rescue.

This is actually about a lot more than just working with the sun in your eyes and is, in fact, a rather good guide to handling light in general. It’s worth noting at this point that Jenny is an oil painter but even if this isn’t your medium, she still has a lot to say that I think you’ll find relevant. Watercolourists will have to adapt the way they handle highlights, but the basic compositional principles are the same.

The bulk of the subjects here involve water, but there are some landscapes and even figure work where Jenny will show you how to retain facial detail even when contrast is considerably subdued. She is also rather good on recession when the answer isn’t to fade to blue and on shafts of sunlight coming through a woodland.

Think of this as one of the best books on painting light with the emphasis on handling one of its tricker aspects and there is a very great deal to like here.

Midwest Book Review May 2024
Inside “Painting into the Light” is to be found a wealth of information on simplification, tonal control, capturing accurate color, working both indoors and outdoors, painting landscapes and still life, creating atmospheric depth, and even mastering the illusion of space. Through detailed step-by-step demonstrations and beautifully illustrated techniques, professional artist and art teaching Jenny Aitken reveals how to infuse every painting with vibrant, lifelike light. Of special note is a section on troubleshooting tricky paintings will show the aspiring artist that every painting is salvageable, but with an understanding of light and color, that it is much more likely that they will find success the first time round.

This paperback edition of Jenny Aitkins’ “Painting into the Light: How to Work Atmospheric Magic with Your Oil Paints” is an ideal pick for DIY oil painting studies and art class oil painting curriculums. Highly recommended for community, art school, and college/university library Oil Painting Instruction Reference collections.