| Author | Message | ||
  Whitewatercolor Intermediate Member Username: Whitewatercolor Post Number: 74 Registered: 10-2006 |
There are lots of different approaches to painting shadows. But I agree with Kisha that there should be variety of color and a shadow is always darker at the point where it meets the object. One suggestion I've been offered that makes sense, is to use the contrasting color for the shadow. If the object is red, the shadow should be greenish, etc. But it always seems more realistic if there is some reflection of the object being shadowed. | ||
Bill Unregistered guest |
Shadows in landscapes are tricky. I agree they take a confident in and out touch or they look overworked. I know several pros who, for shadows, just mix up cobalt and aliz to make a violet and them paint a shadow wash straight over the already painted area for their shadows. It's a bit too much of a reciepe for my taste. | ||
Kisha Unregistered guest |
I was at a plein air paintout recently and noticed a very poor showing when it came to rendering cast shadows. Most were overworked and too dark. I think a shadow should be done in one pass--no return. Also, various colors should be mingled in and the shadows edges should get more diffuse as the shadow goes away from the object casting it. Shadows need not be dull gray either. | ||
Kukana |
Cool! | ||
patc |
Wahoo! It actually worked! This is a painting lesson for some snowman cards that I've been teaching this winter! Now that I can do this image thing, I look forward to sharing more with you all! Thanks, | ||
pat |
Hi all, I'm trying my new scanner out to post an image here. It didn't work the first time, so I'll try it again!  | ||
pat |
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Neffi |
I also really benefitted from this discussion on shadows. Thank you. | ||
Jan |
I just wanted to thank John and Lex for their great advice, which really was helpful! I'm going to look more closely at shadows from now on. My painting turned out pretty nice, and the shadows ended up looking pretty realistic. I really wasn't sure they would at first though. I can't wait to start planning my next painting! Thanks again, Jan | ||
dazey |
John Preston, thanks so much for a clear, concise explanation of shadows. This is always a difficult thing for me, and your simple explanation will help. | ||
John Preston |
Jan, A key thing is to note how dark the shadow side is in relation to other areas, sky in particular. Then see if it is as dark as cast shadows on the lit side of the church, usually it's not due to light reflecting in from elsewhere. Next, note that there are slight variations of value throughout the shadow area: usually the edge next to the lit side is darker than the middle of the wall. Ditto for areas that border on sky. Often it lightens up (and warms up) under the eaves. Photos tend to equalize these differences so if you can't rely on observation, make some decisions ahead and stick with them. Also note any shadow cast by the church on the ground probably will be a bit darker than the shadow side of the church. Putting variety in your values is somewhat more important than variety in your colors when it comes to shadows, but putting variety in your colors only hieghtens the sense of realism. Instead of using one color throughout your shadow with modulations of value, modulate the temperature and intensity too. Even the hue. If those values are right, you can get away with a lot. Check out Skip Lawrence. Another biggie: Decide from the start whether you want more detail in the lit side or the shadow side. Avoid equal detail in both. 99% of the time the lit side gets the most detail due to the harder, darker cast shadows. Check out Edward Hopper, the king of painting sunlight on the side of buildings. His watercolors demonstrate it best though his oils ain't shabby. Good Luck, John | ||
Lex |
If it were me I'd go ahead and paint the area to be shadowed in nearly full detail to match the sunlit areas. And to start with I'd paint the areas to be shadowed in the same colors as those sunlit areas. Then, once ready to paint the shadows, I'd try very dilute paint, especially if you're using phthalo blue which has high tinting strength. Do your shadows in very light strokes, letting each dry before deciding whether to apply another layer. Whatever color you choose (I'd go with a blue for a winter scene) be sure it's a transparent color. Phthalo blue is more likely to retain a cool color over any underpainting. Ultramarine, while equally transparent with much lower and more controllable tinting strength, can produce warmth when painted over certain colors - test this before decided it's what you want for a winter scene. Many folks believe violet or purple tones are appropriate for shadows. Nothing wrong with that, tho' I don't like to follow any rules. Just be careful for the same reasons mentioned above - violets and purples can be cool or warm depending on pigment and the paints over which they're painted. And it's difficult to find a truly lightfast violet that's also affordable. So if you decide to mix your own using a transparent blue and a red, the red should probably be something like a quinacridone to retain transparency. Much as I love cadmium reds they tend to make muddy blends, at least to my eye. And if you want a fairly warmish shadow area, quinacridones are also available in brownish-red hues - Schmincke Madder Brown is one of my favorites. Once you've gotten the hang of how a shadowed area should look, you'll gradually discover how to paint shadowed areas without needing to overpaint them with transparent colors. Simply by painting, say, the grass in a slightly deeper color than surrounding areas, you can create the appearance of shadows from the beginning. Not easy and I'm still constantly struggling with this myself, but it's essential to subjects like portraiture and skin tones. | ||
Jan |
I was painting a winter scene with bright sun on the front of a church. The right side is in a shadow in the picture. I am having trouble getting the shadow to look natural! I've read a couple articles on creating shadows and now I'm even more confused! Please feel free to give me any suggestions! Thanks, Jan |
