Nov 2 - CaL 3: Light and Form


Tips:
keeping the core of shadow intact gives the form more impact
group together planes that are roughly parallel
don't keep textures such as skin equally prominent throughout (texture in shadow is very hard to see. texture is more visible in the halftone)
under diffuse light, all upward facing planes tent to be lighter since they recieve more overall light



Half shadow - "one way to create drama, especially with a vertical form, is to light the top half and leave the rest in shadow"
by using a soft edge on the shadow, it appears as though something really distant is casting the shadow

Occlusion shadows: dark accents where forms come close enough to each other
don't forget to put them under feet to make it feel as though the person is connecting to the ground!

Three-Quarter Lighting: light coming from about 45 degrees in front of the model. the light reaches most of the visible form, leaving only a fraction of the form in shadow. the light is low enough to illuminate both eyes.
Short lighting (light on the farther, foreshortened side) makes a face look thinner
when the light is arranges so the shadow of the nose merges with the rest of the shadow, making a light triangle on the one cheek, it's called Rembrandt lighting.

Frontal lighting shines directly toward the model. Very little of the shadow is visible. Planes that turn away from the viewer turn to shadow.
Edge lighting comes from behind to touch the edges of the form. Usually requires a strong source of light.
Contre Jour: subject blocks the light source
Light from below: unnatural, so grabs attention. can be magical, sinister, or dramatic.

Conclusions about reflected light:
1. In shadows, upfacing planes are cool, and downfacing planes are warm
2. Reflected light falls off quickly as you get farther from the source, unless the source is very large (like a lawn)
3. the effect is clearest if you remove other sources of reflected and fill light.
4. the color of the shadow is the sum of all the sources of reflected illumination, combined with the local color of our object itself.
5. On a sunny day, vertical surfaces in shadow usually receive two sources of illumination: warm ground light and blue sky light.

Spotlights: shadows in the spotlight should match the ambient shadow color outside of the spotlight.

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