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This Lincoln Town Car looks mysterious to me, like it’s waiting to pick someone up for some weird errand.
I want to paint it faithfully, but change the lighting to make it look like a moody and mysterious street scene that evokes the mood of film noir.
Behind the VW Dealership, gouache, 5 x 8 inches
Here’s another example. I’m not trying to suggest a night scene this time, but I definitely want a stark feeling of drama. I've got 45 minutes and two tubes of gouache, white and black.
I walk over to the edge of the supermarket parking lot and there is a white van parked behind the VW dealership. I like the way it's halfway in the light.
The sketchbook page is already primed with a bright yellow acryla-gouache underpainting. I did that to cover up a flubbed diner sketch (can you see the outline of a ketchup bottle just to the left of the van?).
Over that dry priming, I draw some perspective guidelines with watercolor pencil. The "acryla" part of acryla gouache seals the surface against later wet layers of regular gouache, so the yellow won't pick up with what comes next.
I like the bright yellow because it forces me to use opaques, and it makes me paint across edges. I lay down the big masses of near-white and near-black tones, using a flat half-inch brush, with no attempt at detail yet.
I'm interpreting the scene as a "Nearly-Notan" statement. By that I mean two families of tone: "very-dark-plus-black" for what is in shadow, and very-light-plus-white" for what is in direct sun.
I can allow myself a little definition within each of those principalities, but I want to avoid middle tones. There should be a deep valley in the middle of the histogram.
I move to smaller brushes for details. A guy comes out on break and sits to the left of the van to check his cellphone. The sun goes behind clouds for the whole rest of the session, so I have to remember the lighting.
I use black watercolor pencil for the wires. I'm nearly done, but I want to add a little more glare to the sky. I add a little white artist's chalk in the area adjoining the sky and rub it in with a soft cotton cloth. If you scroll back up to the top, you can see the subtle glare effect.
Photo courtesy Annenberg Learner
So, here are some tips for painting a film-noir-style street scene:
Composition: Noir is often characterized by dramatic compositions. If there’s a figure, put it in shadow or silhouette. Use leading lines, such as buildings, streets, or shadows, to draw the viewer's eye into the scene. Consider the use of strong diagonals and asymmetrical balance to create tension.
Value Range: It helps to use a wide range of values and organize them into a light mass and a dark mass. Pay attention to how light interacts with the forms in your scene, particularly the play of streetlights or other light sources cutting through the darkness. Don’t be afraid to throw big areas into shadow.
Atmospheric Effects: Incorporate elements that enhance the noir atmosphere, like fog, rain, or reflections. These effects can add depth and intrigue to the scene.
Enhance Your Palette: You can introduce subtle hues in the lights or shadows (like a hint of blue in the shadows, or a yellow-green cast to a streetlight). That can make it feel like full color while maintaining that monochromatic scheme.
Play with Edges: In noir films, the use of hard and soft edges adds a sense of mystery and depth. Vary your brushwork to achieve this effect—some areas can be sharply defined while others are softer and more blended.
Try it! And let me know in the comments how you do.
I like how you found the perfect funky music for the urban night scene, feels like Columbo, or Kojak, or Rockford Files.
How interesting! After this pesky H. Milton passes through, if I am still here 😕, I’ll try it.