Light and Shadow for 3D Dimensional Shapes - Drawing Tutorial

Jacquelin Vanderwood May 15, 2004   1 To be a good artist you need to learn how to see and draw light and shadow. Everything in life consists of light and shadow. You can accomplish a complete realistic drawing and painting by just adding light and shadow without drawing in one line. Below is a sphere with a main light reflecting off of the sphere from the upper right direction. Below in the lower left we see shadow but we also see reflected light. Reflected light is bounced light and color that surrounds an object that is directly under/around/by the the object. For instance, let's say the sphere sits on a blue table, the reflected light will be blue. Or another example can be that a man is wearing a green shirt with the light coming from above; the reflected light under his chin, nose, and jaw will be green. On the surface where the sphere sits is also a shadow. Try and draw the sphere as seen below.   2 Here we have the sphere with the light source coming from the upper left. We see reflected light at the lower right and also a little of it at the left side. Notice the shadow on the surface has changed with the light source's new direction.   3 Here we have a sphere with the light source originating in the lower front. The shadow then appears at the upper right with the reflected light at the upper right area. Notice the shadow on the surface is seen less due to the fact it is in the rear of the sphere.   4 Here the light source originates directly in front at the bottom. The reflected light will be directly at the top right behind the shadow. The surface shadow will consequently be almost the same as in Step 3.   5 The light source in this drawing comes from the right. The darkest shadow then appears on the left with reflective lighting on the left of the sphere. Notice the shadow appears below and to the left of the sphere. Try drawing all of the above spheres practicing shadow and light and don't forget about reflective light.   6 Here I've used the same technique in Photoshop to show light and shadow with reflected light.   7 Here is the above sphere showing colored reflected light. Below that is an example of green reflected on a human head.     Copyright 1998-2004, Jacquelin Vanderwood, All Rights Reserved