Painting the light.

Painting the light is possibly a paradox since we do not see the light, but what it illuminates. When we see rays of light, it is the dust in the air what we really see illuminated. These rays of light have been a recurring theme in the history of universal art.
The use of smoke on the set to show the light is of common use in the film industry.
Creating rays of light is not always possible, especially filming on exteriors.  On many occasions, it was necessary for matte artists to paint those lines of light to produce dramatic effects, or simply to create spectacular images.


Let’s see some samples of those ray light paintings. 


The Crusades (1936)
Special effects: Gordon Jennings
Matte painting: Jan Domela
















Garden of Allah (1936)
Matte painting supervisor: Jack Cosgrove
Matte cameraman: Clarence Slifer


















La guerra gaucha (1942)
Matte painting: Ralph Papier


















Ines de castro (1944)
Matte painting: Pierre Schild

 















Captain Horatio Hornblower R.N. (1951)
Matte painting: Peter Ellenshaw















Kompozitor glinka (1952)
Matte shots designer:  L. Aleksandrovskaya/  I. Gordienko/  F. Krasny
Matte photographer: Grigoriy Ayzenberg



Dracula (1958)
Matte painting: Les Bowie.
Matte assistant ( Derek Meddings/ Ray Caple)



From the terrace (1960)
Special photographic effects: Lb. Abbott
Matte painting: Emil Kosa Jr












The Birds (1963)
Matte painting: Albert Whitlock
Matte photography: Roswell Hoffmann

















The Gnome-mobile (1967)
Special effects: Eustace Lycett/ Robert A. Mattey
Matte painting: Peter Ellenshaw



















Candleshoe (1977)
Matte painting: Cliff Culley














The blue brothers (1980)
Special visual effects: Albert Whitlock
Matte artist: Syd Dutton
Matte camera: Bill Taylor













The Ewok adventure (1984)
Matte painting and camera: Jim Danforth























The adventures of  Baron Munchausen (1988)
Matte painting: Doug Ferris
Matte camera: John Grant