Catchlights

[Sandy Barnes]

I see catchlight in the eyes as bright white, but it looks stark on the dark pupil. Is there a universal color for catchlights? I would like to tone it down but am unsure of what color to use.

Any suggestions will be appreciated.

[Mary Reilly]

I like to put the catch light on the iris and not the pupil. I think it gives a more pleasing effect, and it doesn't contrast as much as it would on a pupil. As far as color, I usually use titanium white, but if it seems to be "a bit much", then sometimes I "soften" the catch light by pulling off some of the paint so there is less of it. I think the size of the catch light and the thickness of the paint has the most to do with how it looks. The color of the iris and/or the way the light hits the subject, dictates to me how much strength I should have in my catch light.

If I feel I need to add color because the white is still too much, then sometimes I might use a hint of naples yellow with the white for brown or green eyes, and a hint of the "iris color" blue with the white for blue eyes. Other combinations can also come into play depending on the particular portrait. Having said that, white is still my favorite catch light.

Mary

[Sandy Barnes]

Thanks Mary. This subject has the darkest of brown iris, I will try the touch of Naples.

[Mary Reilly]

Try also going on the iris, near the pupil but not actually on the pupil.

Mary

[Chris Saper]

Hi Sandy,

With regard to catchlights, I tend to treat them the same way I treat highlights in general: paint them in a temperature opposite of the color of the light source. In other words, if my subject is lit by a warm light (sunlight or incandescent light) I will use an extremely light blue, blue-green or violet, possibly a cool icy pink. Conversely, in a cool light source I would use a warmer hue...a very light raw umber or something like that.

Unless you are using a flash attched to your camera (which shouldn't be used as a source photo anyway) I can't imagine a situation where the catchlight is actually in the pupil itself.

The catchlight will actually have a shape, as well as a location on the eye. If you are painting very small you can get a away with a splotch, but in anything approaching life-size, it's better to actually observe and paint the shape. I feel also that it is better to understate the highlight than to overstate it.

Karin Wells has a post that is very intriguing, about the different expressions created by a catchlights placed higher, rather then lower, in the eyes.