Question about shadows

[ArtZealot]

I remember reading somewhere that the lightest light in a shadow should not be more than your darkest area in the light or something like that. Does anyone know where i can find an article that might go in depth about shadows and verify that i remember right about that?

[Lohan]

I have been taught that by very reliable teachers. it was in black and white value studies, however, and not color- it may be different in color.

[Darkside]

as I understand it, "color is value" i.e. the spots you are looking at have a saturation additionally to the brightness of the spots. so shadows have the same brightness, either in b/w and in color. why should it differ? it´s one thing.
as to your question where to find it, I think good old Loomis mentions it :)

[ArtZealot]

Oh yeah, that's where i must have heard it. I'll have to dig up my loomis books. Thanks.

[sweetoblivion314]

its all relative. That is true on a single light source without an item that is highly reflective near it. The instant you put a mirror on the other side it will reflect a ton of light and could possibly be very bright. Almost like a second light source.

And adding color doesn't change the rules. If an items reflected light area is darker then the midtone in color it will still be the same if you remove the color from it. Changing the color may change the values but removing the color wont.

[Elwell]

Oh yeah, that's where i must have heard it. I'll have to dig up my loomis books. Thanks.
It's in the part of Creative Illustration where he talks about Howard Pyle.

[Evil_Sloth]

This is a crit that Mullins gave on the Sinjun forums.

"Octavian, It’s pretty complex making things simple? But if I had to simplfy that, I would say that there is too much information/contrast in the shadows. Decide what is in light and what is in shadow and don’t mix them up. Think like a comic artist. Two values, but if they are well thought out and designed and drawn they can look totally real. Think like that, but instead of making the light white and the shadow black, make the light a 7 and the shadow a 3. Then go ahead and use 5-10 in the light and 1-3 in the shadow to pull out sub forms. DO NOT use 1-5 in any part of the light, or use 5-10 in any areas of the dark. Keep you edges a little softer in the shadows, a little sharper in the light, you are done. (0 is black, 10 is white) Deciding what is in shadow and light for a particular object is pretty hard in words. I will leave that up to you and that is 99 percent of the struggle."

[Nerahla]

The Scott Robertson Gnomon workshop DVDs on shadows/shading are /excellent/ in every possible way. Reading about it is one thing, but being instructed with visual aids is another entirely.

I highly recommend them :)

[Big-Dave]

Evil_Sloth: Thanks for posting that crit, it made me realise something I was messing up in my own work :)

[Seedling]

This is a crit that Mullins gave on the Sinjun forums.. . .

That's some great advice! Thanks for sharing.

[Bowlin]

Evil_Sloth: That IS some great advice. Thanks!

Deciding what is in shadow and light for a particular object is pretty hard in words. I will leave that up to you and that is 99 percent of the struggle.

That does seem to be the hard part, lighting everything in your picture (if you don't borrow heavily from reference). Trying to decide where you put light and then shadow in the overall picture is one thing. Focusing in and deciding where the light and shadow is on the individual objects seems to be the harder struggle. You focus on the lights and darks in the light areas, then the lights and darks in the shadow area. The subtlety is so small here that it seems almost impossible sometimes!! It's making up things from your head to render with correct lighting relationships that just drives me bonkers. Then you throw correct color relationships on top of that?!? Somebody shoot me. :P