Monochrome mystery

If you talk science, black and white are not considered as hues, and honestly, some artists would not prefer to acknowledge their existence. They may look monotone on their own, but they represent the starkest contrasts between light and darkness. The style got its popularity spike in the Renaissance with Leonardo da Vinci, Caravaggio, and Rembrandt. Now, though not a lost art, it's more prevalent in photography than most traditional fine art mediums.

Boy lighting candle in company of ape and fool- El Greco

Chiaroscuro originated as drawing on coloured paper. These in turn were drawn on traditions in illuminated manuscripts going back to late Roman Imperial manuscripts on manuscripts written on purple parchment paper. Such works used to be called "chiaroscuro drawings",

It is still an art form worth its intrigue so let me give you an idea of how it works. Typically, Chiaroscuro uses a coloured paper as its base tone. You build the light using white gouache ( a type of opaque watercolour) and shadows with black ink. Though you do not have to be limited to just these mediums. Dry mediums like charcoal will work too.

Quick sketch by Admin

Talking science here but most of the mystery is caused by the brain not able to see the whole picture. The sharp shadows hiding the figure causes the brain to feel unsettled and can also emphasise the eeriness of the image without the blood and splatter. A tip, when introducing a suspicious character in a comic, story or a piece, place him partially in the shadow. Your audience will doubt him immediately.

As shown by The Photo Argus, in photography chiaroscuro is fantastic for portraits, still life and any composition that needs emphasis on three-dimensionality and mystery.

Stepan Mazurov – your move

This is due to the impact of the bold black and white and contrast.

This is done by using Rembrandt lighting or ambient lighting. It is used in studio portrait photography and can be achieved with either a light source and a reflector or two lights.

Vogue Russia, January 2009 PHOTOGRAPHER: ANGELO PENNETTA

There are some examples of chiaroscuro photography in the link below.

http://www.thephotoargus.com/35-gorgeous-examples-chiaroscuro-photography/

All of the above pictures are very diverse in the subject that the image is being focused upon, but all of these are united by the fact that they are dominated by rather dark colors and that they all follow the scheme of Chiaroscuro. Some of the predominant colors include: black, dark blue, gray, brown.

Now how chiaroscuro will appear in your creative process is yours to decide. Enjoy the art form's mystery!