High Key Painting Definition

High key as a term used in describing paintings or photographs is related to but not the same as high key lighting in cinema or photography.

High key painting definition. Often the light source washes out the scene and there are very few deep shadows. Then dark accents are used to lead the eye around the important areas of the painting. You can also compress the value range towards the darks this is referred to a low key or you could just compress the lights and darks so you are only painting within the mid tones. A photograph or painting so composed features a diminished tonal range of primarily whites and light grays.

The subjects can be white or light coloured themselves eggs a snow covered landscape with no dark trees puffy white clouds a white sand beach for example. Below is an example of some of the different keys you can paint in. High key definition of a photograph having chiefly light tones usually with little tonal contrast distinguished from low key. Adj having a predominance of light grey tones or light colours.

High key paintings are ones that feel airy and light. High key definition of high key by the free dictionary. A high key image consists primarily of light tones without dark shadows. Painting in a higher key simply means that all the dark and middle range values in the painting are lightened while all the colors become more saturated.

In a high key painting the majority of values are in the lighter than middle gray. All the values still have to relate to each other properly but the range of values to work with becomes more narrow. High key paintings feel light and airy. A high key merely compresses the value range you use in a painting towards the lighter end.

It is the opposite of lowkey. Studded at each corner with a photo transfer of gauguins painting.