Chiaroscuro to create light

Chiaroscuro is an Italian word that means “light and dark.”

• In painting, it refers to the use of strong contrasts between light and shadow to create a sense of depth, volume, and drama.

Artists use chiaroscuro to make figures look three-dimensional and to guide the viewer’s eye to the most important parts of the image—like shining a spotlight on the subject. It was famously used by artists like Caravaggio and Rembrandt.