He Just Grazed It

One of my favorite lighting techniques is grazing. When done properly, it does a great job of showing off the texture of the material which the lighting is accenting. When done poorly, the surface of the material is lost instead of being the primary focus of the lighting.

Here in central Texas, rock is very plentiful and is the primary building material for homes and businesses. The cool thing about rock is that it usually has wonderful color and rich texture, which can be beautifully highlighted at night. During the day, you may appreciate the color of the stone, but can’t really get a good feeling for its rough texture. But at night, if the proper light fixture with the correct light intensity, color and beam spread is placed in the right position reveals the interesting texture evoking its rustic surface.

In order to pick the proper fixture, light color, beam spread and intensity, we need to look at the surface we are trying to feature. The first thing to consider is the color of the rock. Dark colors absorb light, while light colors reflect light. The color of the stone or other façade will determine the intensity or lumen output that is necessary to do the job. Low light strength on a dark wall would fail to deliver the desired effect; and too much light on a very reflective wall will cause a lot of light bounce and be distracting.

Then we have to decide on the color of the light. This is a highly subjective topic. Some people love the warm glow of incandescent lighting, while others like a whiter light. The color of the stone can help you decide the color of light needed as well. A warm light will bring out the rich earthy colors like red or brown, while a whiter light will make blues and whites really pop.

Next, think about the beam spread. A narrow beam may throw a ‘V’ shape light on a wide wall, where a much wider, more diffused beam may allow for light which seems to have no specific shape at all. Personally, I like a very broad beam, unless I’m illuminating a column. Even then I’m most likely to use a slightly wider beam than necessary to soften things up a bit.

Finally, we have to determine the distance from the surface to place the fixture. A stucco wall is very flat with a fine texture; wood is the same. To properly accent these smoother surfaces, the fixture should be placed pretty close to the bottom of the wall or column. For a wall made of brick, the fixture will have to be placed a little further away from the wall. When it comes to a stone wall with very jagged rock, the light needs to be even further away. We’re not talking about several feet in difference here; we’re only talking about inches. A stucco wall might need a fixture placed only 6” away, while a stone wall may need the fixture to be placed 18” from the wall. Of course, the placement depends on the fixture, beam spread and intensity as well. All the elements work together to accomplish the right look.

Techniques such a grazing require a lot of practice to become skilled at achieving a desirable effect. With time and repetition it becomes quite easy to discover all of these things. But at the end of the day, the all-important night time focus of the system will help fine tune the final result.

We’re happy to show you what a great grazing technique can look like at your home or business.  info@night-scenes