How to draw a drop (cast) shadow using perspective. The laws of chiaroscuro: from simple forms to a portrait What are the names of the shadows in the picture

In this lesson, we'll take a look at how to properly build a drop/cast shadow using two-point perspective.

Light is important

Light affirms its need for drawing through its valor. By valor is meant the darkening or illumination of the shade of the tone of the object. In most cases, a darker valor is used for shadows, and a lighter one, respectively, for illuminated areas. Valère, which is between these extremes, is usually called a semitone.

Valer- in painting and graphics: a shade of tone that determines the light and shade ratio within the same color. The valor system is a gradation of light and shadow of any color in a certain sequence.
From Wiki.

It is necessary to create the illusion of light in the drawing, since light is the determining factor in distinguishing objects from the outside world. If we want to learn how to create illusions in drawings, the most important illusion will be just the creation of light.

Light is active in two locations - the illuminated side and midtones. Our brain imprints their position and enhances their intensity, just like the intensity of shadows.

Light and shadow

Shadows are usually divided into "own" and "cast". The own shadow is the shadow of the object itself, and the cast shadow is the result of the obstruction of light in the object. Thus, the shadow "falls" on the nearest surfaces.

A self-shadow can give the observer information about the shape of an object, while cast shadows shape the object and the direction of the light.

cast shadows

The shape of the cast shadow is important, since the observer gets an idea of ​​​​the shape of the object from its outlines. Some artists take advantage of this feature if they want to make the shadows "speak" in a special way by controlling the light source. However, this approach requires some skill and knowledge of perspective theory.

For most life drawings, the shadows of objects are obvious and can be drawn based on the comparison between positive and negative spaces. However, if you draw imaginary objects, this skill will come in handy.

In the video below, we look at using derivative perspective to be able to create cast shadow shapes in the form of simple rectangles and spheres.

How to use "perspective" to position cast/drop shadows

Let's start by looking at the process of casting shadows from rectangular objects.

First, we will draw a simple rectangle, for this we will use two-point perspective. It is important to include the horizon line in the plan of the picture - for us it will be the "shadow fading point".

When the rectangle is ready, we will define the light source above the horizon. The closer the light source is to the horizon line, the longer the shadows will be.

You can draw a line from the light source to the horizon. The point where these two lines intersect (the line from the light source and the horizon line) will be the "shadow fading point".

Now we can draw three lines from the light source, diffusing to the top corners of our shape. In this case, we mean the three angles closest to the observer.

Then we'll draw lines in the direction from the fading point of the shadow to the bottom three corners of our shape. They should be long enough - the same as the lines to the upper corners.

The intersection points help determine the shape of the cast shadow.

We can use the resulting shape as a base to fill the shadow with color.

Draw cast shadows of a sphere using perspective

Now that we've covered the process of creating cast shadows using perspective using the example of a rectangle, let's look at a strategy for creating a shadow for a sphere. (There are several ways to create a shadow for a sphere, but this one is the easiest, in my opinion).

As in the previous example, we will have to define the horizon line, as they will come in handy when determining the fade point of the shadow. We will also need to define the light source and the shadow fade point.

Then we draw a circle, which will later become a sphere. To make it easier to determine the shape of the cast shadow, let's fit a circle into a square.

Let's draw lines from the light source to the two upper corners of the square that inscribes the circle.

Now let's draw lines from the shadow's fading point to the bottom two corners of the square.

The resulting intersection points can be used to determine the shape of the square cast shadow.

Now we need to create an oval shape for the actual spherical shadow. First you need to determine where the curves will touch the edges. To find these points, we need to draw lines from the light source to the midpoints of the sides of the square on each side.

Then, using these intersection points, we determine the shape of the shadow cast from the sphere.

Now you can add color and value to the sphere itself and the cast shadow to complete the drawing. You have all the guidelines for this.

I hope the article was useful to you! Leave your comments, wishes and questions!

Most art schools and drawing courses teach you how to draw shadows first. Building and drawing such primitive figures as a cylinder, a ball, a cone, a cube is a rather tedious and uninteresting business. However, it is precisely such tasks that are the first step towards understanding the shape and volume of a geometric shape, as well as the ability to depict its dark and light sides - that is, the ability to draw shadows with a pencil in stages. In further artistic practice, the ability to correctly feel the dark and light sides will be a good help in any drawing.

If you want to make the study visual and realistic, you need to give it volume. In this article we will tell you how to draw shadows with a pencil correctly.

Light and shadow

Drawings should be realistic and pleasing to the eye. Therefore, it is necessary to correctly combine light and shadow in them. This will give the drawings contrast, depth and a sense of movement. shadows to make the drawings look more lively, attractive and interesting?

A bit of theory

Have you ever thought about what allows us to see the shape of objects? Let's reveal a secret: this is a collision of light and shadow. If we put an object on a table in a windowless room and turn off the light, we won't see any form. If we illuminate the object with a very bright lamp or spotlight, then, again, we will not see its shape. It allows you to see only the light that collides with the shadow.

Neither light nor shadow falls on objects at random. There are certain patterns. They allow us to assume how the light will be located on the object, on its forms, and where the shadow will begin. And a drawing person needs to know these patterns.

Elements of chiaroscuro

In drawing, the following elements of chiaroscuro are distinguished: glare, light, penumbra, own shadow, reflex and falling shadow. Let's consider each of them in order.

glare called a spot of light, which is located on a convex or flat glossy surface and is obtained due to the strong illumination of the object.

Light are the surfaces of the object that are brightly illuminated.

Penumbra called a faint shadow. It occurs if the object is illuminated not by one, but by several light sources. In addition, it forms on surfaces that face at a slight angle to the light source.

Shadow- These are those parts of the subject that are poorly lit. A falling shadow is one that an object casts on the plane on which it stands. And his own - the one that is on the unlit side of it.

Reflex is called a weak spot of light, which is located in the region of the shadow. It is formed by rays that are reflected from other objects nearby.

The image of these light gradations allows the artist to visually depict the shape of an object on a sheet, convey its volume and degree of illumination.

Do these rules work for computer graphics?

Yes. Computer graphics is the same drawing. Therefore, how to draw shadows in AIS or Photoshop is no different from depicting them on paper. All the theory and all the rules that work for an image on canvas or paper are also valid for a computer.

Step 1: Choosing the Right Materials

How to draw shadows with a pencil? First of all, you need to choose the right pencil. Of course, you can draw shadows with charcoal, sanguine, gouache, and acrylic. But at first it is better to limit yourself to a pencil.

For shadows, special drawing pencils are used. They are sold in sets. A budget option can be found at any office supply store. There is also a special paper for drawing: it is better to choose a thicker and stiffer one.

There are many varieties of drawing pencils. There are soft (M, 2M, 3M, ..., 8M, 9M) leads, and there are hard ones (T, 2T, 3T, ..., 8T, 9T). In the sets of foreign manufacturers, M is replaced by B, and T is replaced by H.

For the image of shadows, a set of 3T, 2T, T, TM, M, 2M and 3M will be enough for you. For the image of light, it is better to use hard pencils, and for shadows - soft ones. So the drawing will look more natural and it will be easier to draw it.

Let's talk about paper. Too smooth sheets, those on which we print, are not suitable for drawing. Do not use too hard paper. It will be difficult to draw shadows on it. It is best to use special drawing sheets, which are sold in a folder in stationery stores. How to draw shadows correctly? First of all, get the right materials.

Step Two: Line Sketch

How to draw shadows in a drawing? First of all, make a line sketch of what you want to draw. It is advisable to do this from nature, but you can also use a photograph of the object. The most important thing is that the object you have chosen is still. In this case, you will have a lot of time to draw it.

Take a close look at your home environment. You can draw flowers, clocks, kitchen utensils, clothes. All of these are excellent subjects for sketching.

If you are using a photograph, it is better to print it in black and white. So you will be able to more accurately depict the outline and shadows.

Step 3: Achromatic Colors

How to draw shadows? When working with a pencil at your disposal, they all start with white and end with black, having several shades of gray in the middle.

How to create an achromatic scale? Draw a rectangle: this can be done on a separate sheet of paper or in the corner of your drawing. Divide this rectangle into five equal parts (you can have more, but 5 will be enough to start), then number them.

The very first square will be white, and the last one will be black. The parts between them need to be painted over with three different shades of gray, dividing them by tone. As a result, you will have something like the palette of your pencil: the first rectangle is white, the second is light gray, the third is medium gray, the fourth is dark gray and the last is the darkest tone that a pencil can give.

Step 4: shadow theory

How to draw shadows? To do this, you need to understand their nature.

Find your main light source. Observe that the lightest ones are often closest to the light, the dark ones are further away, and the shadows fall against it. Particular attention should be paid to reflections, as they can be the brightest point of the object selected for drawing.

Step 5: Choosing a Hatching Method

How to draw shadows? With hatching. It is superimposed over

Choose the way in which you will stroke the sketch, depending on the object itself, the light source and there are many types of hatching of shadows, and the most popular of them are straight, circular and cross.

A straight line is the drawing of many parallel lines as close to each other as possible. This method is great for objects without texture and for drawing hair.

For circular hatching, you need to draw many small circles. With this hatching, you can create an interesting texture by scattering circles and supplementing them with lines. In addition, you can more clearly show the density of the object you are depicting by placing the circles close to each other.

Shading objects by drawing intersecting lines is cross hatching. This method is great for adding depth to a drawing.

Step 6: Pen Test

Try to make shadows. Since your drawing is still at the initial stage, you should not make them too dark. So you can easily erase them if necessary. Draw, gradually filling in the places that you need, and leave the lightest places white.

As you draw, compare your work to the object or photograph to make sure you're applying the shadows in the right place.

Step 7: Patience and Step by Step Work

Add shadows in several layers. They need to be gradually darkened, applying layer by layer. There should be a noticeable contrast between dark and light places. Remember to use the achromatic scale: the drawing should not be in the same gray tones.

There is no need to hurry. The process of shading the shadows is similar to the development of a black and white film: it should occur gradually. Patience is your key to success and beautiful drawings.

The more you deepen the shadows in the drawing, the less noticeable its contours will become. And rightly so, because in real life almost nothing has a black outline. The same should be reflected in your drawing.

Step 8: Blending the Shadows

Now blend out the shadows on your drawing. It is necessary to make them more realistic and smooth. You need to control the pressure so that it is not too strong and too weak. Blend until you are satisfied with the result.

If you do not have shading, you can use a small piece of paper. The eraser will help you brighten those places that you blurred by accident. It can be a highlight, or an outline that is not completely hidden under the hatching layer.

Most importantly, remember that most drawing people, including the most famous artists, made mistakes at the initial stage of their creative path.

• Between your hand and the paper you are drawing on, you can put a blank sheet of paper for printing: this way you will avoid spots on the drawing.
• In order not to dirty the sketch and correct errors, it is better to use a vinyl eraser. Erasers made of this material do not spoil the paper and erase pencil marks well.
• Don't use your finger to smudge the strokes.
• To make the difference between light and shadow more noticeable, you need to use good lighting.
• It is better to hold the pencil at a smaller angle to the plane of the paper in order to draw with the side of the stylus, and not with its tip. So the shadows will turn out more natural.

Reflections, chiaroscuro and shadow color. How to figure it out?

My dears, today in the section #harmless advice we will discuss such important concepts as light, shadow and reflections.

Last Thursday we analyzed the tone and tonal relationships in the work, and today we will talk about a separate object and combine this knowledge to work with color in a landscape.

So, the simplest object for parsing chiaroscuro is a ball (in the photo in the middle on the left), it immediately shows the direction of light, a glare, light areas, its own shadow (shadow on the object), a falling shadow (shadow from the object from the ball itself) and reflex.

And if the light is more or less clear, it is from the side of the light source,

and the shadow is in the opposite part of the object.

That's the last- reflex usually do not pay so much attention, but in vain! It is just fundamental in our topic and greatly affects the shadow. But first things first. First, let's take a closer look at the concept.

Reflex - this is reflected light from neighboring objects and it appears in the object's own shadow (this is important!) In painting, the reflections will be colored, reflecting the color of objects around, and in graphics, this is a correspondingly light reflection in its own shadow.

It occurs due to the fact that the neighboring object is also illuminated by light and casts, reflects its light on the "neighbors".

As I mentioned above

• most the active reflex is in the shadow part, there it is also light in tone,
• slightly less active and matching in tone with the object are in penumbral areas.

In the photo there are two balls surrounded by a bright background.

The mistake will be to create bright reflections on the entire surface,(left ball) because they activity will depend just on the area in which they are located.

The natural option is right ball, there are the lightest, almost imperceptible reflexes in the light areas. Why? Because the object in them is actively illuminated and its color turns out to be "illuminated", so bright reflections are impossible there (as on the ball on the left).

In the penumbra areas, the reflections are saturated and most obvious with a reflection in the own shadow-shadow area. And, if the most important thing in graphics is just a reflection in its own shadow, then when we draw in color, we will need all the reflections and in the penumbra areas it is they that affect the color of the shadow, we will consider further in more detail.

And now let's move on to various factors that affect chiaroscuro and reflex.

• Of course, the intensity of both light and glare and reflection will depend from the material of the object. The more glossy the surface (metal, glass, smooth fruit peel, satin fabrics, etc.), the more contrasting in tone these areas will be and, accordingly, the calmer the material (cotton and other soft fabrics, wood, stone, etc.). d) the calmer.

It is important to take this into account when drawing, here the very “observation” and observation that is developed in practice will help and you see how the texture works. These moments are remembered and used, it becomes easier to control them in the drawing.

But there are also small rules that help to understand.

The graphics are dominated by chiaroscuro and tone contrasts, as this is the only expressive means.

I depicted draperies with a ball in a pencil (pictured below), where soft fabric (cotton, linen) is on the left, and satin is on the right. They differ both in shape and contrasts. The more glossy the surface, the greater the tonal contrast and areas of light and shadow more often replace each other.

In painting, there is color, and here the influence of color reflections is no less significant. Above the graphic drawings, I depicted color ones, of course, with more contrasting colors, the effect that I will talk about would be more noticeable, but it is there. In the picture on the left, the color also has soft fabric and soft, barely perceptible reflexes, and in the picture on the right, the reflections are more active, since the glossy fabric reflects both light and color. That is, the viewer can understand what kind of material you wanted to portray, thanks to reflexes and chiaroscuro

• The second moment affecting chiaroscuro and reflexes is, of course, illumination. We touched on this point a bit in Topic 12 with the example of a proud landscape. The more illumination (sunny day) the more tonal contrasts and, accordingly, reflexes, as they are obtained due to light. In the dusk, tone contrasts disappear, everything becomes smoother and reflexes practically disappear, since they have nowhere to appear. You remember that a reflex is a reflection, a reflection of color, but if there is no light, there is no reflex.

And now let's move deeper into reflexes and their influence.

As we have already discussed, the active reflex is in the shadow, therefore,

in fact,shadow color is the color of the object is dense in tone+reflection from neighboring objects, which depends on material and lighting.(which we discussed above) And here we come to the most interesting.

How to choose the color of the shadow?

Let's look at an example from the book "Color and Light" by James Gurney, I really like it (pictured below).

Here you see clear weather, the sky is painted blue, so it casts a "reflex" on buildings and other objects and the shadows are more blue. But the color of the shadow is not one hundred percent blue, since the object itself has its own color and the shadow is the color of the object + reflection.

Such a situation, but in its purest form, we see a snowy winter in clear weather, when "frost and sun, a wonderful day"

Here the shadow will be bright blue and blue, and why? I'm sure you already understood;) Because snow is white, and it is the reflection from the sky that gives the main color of the shadow. In the case of a city landscape, less clear weather, the shadows take on a calmer lilac-blue hues (we talked about the ideal pair of yellow / ocher and blue / blue-lilac for a city landscape in Topic 11).

What if you draw natural landscape in clear weather, what is the base color of the shadows?

That's right: muted green (as the color of the object) + blue (reflex from the sky) as a result, turquoise-blue shadows, and if there is a lot of earth, then it is possible to add a brownish gamut.

What if the weather isn't clear?? That is also muted green (as the color of the object) + purple and so on.

And now let's go back to the picture from the book "Color and Light". If the own shadows of the top objects (the one above is closer to the sky) and the drop shadows of all objects use the sky reflection, then the own shadows in the objects closer to the ground and facing the ground (for example, the lower part of the gable of the roof) have in their composition a reddish-brown "reflex" from the ground.

This happens, basically, only on an illuminated day, when the sun strongly illuminates the earth and it reflects its color on neighboring objects. It adds to the beauty.

But, unlike the sky, whose influence is active because it is a BIG and BRIGHT object, the rest of the reflections are reflected and only affect the shadows of nearby objects. That is, its "reflection" - "reflex" also depends on the size of the object. I think that this is understandable, because on an apple lying on the grass there is a reflex from the sky, on the grass next to the apple there is also a reflex from the sky and from an apple, but in the sky there is no longer a reflex from an apple or grass, since the sizes of objects and, accordingly, their influence is not comparable. It seems banal and understandable? But no, I often see mistakes when, having knowledge of reflections, they draw them on everything around, regardless of the distance of the object, surface and size.

Another point not to be mentioned is it's about controlling the color of a shadow to create atmosphere and temperature in a painting. In general, you can create a shadow of any color, but if we talk about realism, then the above points with color will be very important, but even then you can "play around". In the picture with the boat (pictured below), I deliberately made shadows of different colors. In life, they were all bluish because of the clear sky and leaked everywhere. But, I wanted to create a contrast of temperatures: "heat on the beach" and "coolness" on the mountain under the canopy of trees. To do this, I painted shadows next to the boat ocher (object color) + blue (sky reflex), and on the mountain ocher (object color) + purple - a colder color, which created the very “cool effect” for me. depends on the size of the object that casts it, the larger the object (for example, the sky), the wider and stronger the influence, the smaller (small objects such as flowers, apples) the less, the influence is only around and directly next to them.

In conclusion, I want to say that all this knowledge is not an alphabet that needs to be memorized, much of this is learned only in practice, thanks to the fact that you look around you and analyze colors.

But, of course, understanding some of the rules that I have described here and that are in the mass of sources, help you clearly understand how to change your job! Create exactly your idea! Influence the weather!

On color and light, because it is unrealistic to meet an "ideal" landscape, find an "ideal" reference ... and even if possible, then why?

An artist is one who can convey not just a reality, but one that will be interesting, carry meaning and fullness. And for this he must be able to change what is necessary at your discretion. That is why we learn not just to look, but to "see" the World and its light and color. !

I wish you great creative success!

In the history of fine arts light and shadowinterconnected because they are used as pictorial funds. Hence the general concept:chiaroscuro, which implies a certain quantitative ratio of qualitiesSveta and shadows.

Chiaroscuro as a means of composition is used to convey the volume of an object. The degree of relief of the three-dimensional form is related to the lighting conditions, which is directly related to the expression of the constructive idea of ​​the work. In addition, the degree of illumination of the image has a significant impact on the nature of color and tonal contrasts, on balance, the relationshipparts and the integrity of the composition.

The interpretation of the volume and illumination of objects depends on chiaroscuro objects that form all sorts of contrasts shadows, penumbra and reflexes, endowed with their own color qualities and properties.

Volumetric forms in nature are perceived in one way or another illuminated. Gradations Sveta and shadows on their surface are defined by the concepts: glare, light, light separation (semitone ), shadow, reflex.

There are the following elements of chiaroscuro:

• Sveta- surfaces brightly illuminated by a light source;
• highlight - a light spot on a brightly lit convex or flat glossy surface, when it also has a mirrorreflection ;
• shadows- unlit or dimly lit areas of the object. Shadows on the unlit side of an object are called own, and those thrown by the object onto other surfaces - falling;
• penumbra- a faint shadow that occurs when an object is illuminated by several light sources. It also forms on a surface facing the light source at a slight angle;
• reflex- a weak bright spot in the shadow area, formed by rays reflected from nearby objects.

Gradation Image chiaroscuro helps the artist to reveal the volume of the depicted bodies on the plane of a sheet of paper, cardboard, canvas.

Shadows subdivided into their own(on the surface of an object) and falling ( thrown by an object onto a plane or other objects). However, the imagechiaroscuromust be distinguished from tonal ( including chiaroscuro ) image relations, which are not subject to optical, but compositional regularities, i.e., relations of lightness, which the artist consciously builds on a plane, in volume or space. The artist does not depict, but skillfully composeslight and shadow. Therefore, it can be said thatchiaroscuroin nature is the optical basis of shaping in art.

visual perception forms objects and their images in the educational figure largely determined by the understanding of patternschiaroscuro.These patterns are easy to follow and understand by observing the objects around us, illuminated by both natural and artificial light. Thanks to the sourceSvetaa person is able to visually perceive and distinguish certain forms illuminated surfaces of objects in space. But in order to seriously master tonal pattern , it is necessary to master the regularitieschiaroscuro. Not knowing the laws of distributionSveta on the shape of an object

You will mindlessly draw only visible spots without understanding the true reasons, which is why the drawings will be less expressive and convincing. The laws of illumination have their exact scientific definitions, as do the laws of perspective and anatomy. That's why light, as a physical phenomenon, has certain laws of distribution in space and on the surface of objects that every draftsman needs to know.

Word "tone" comes from the Greek word "tonos"- voltage. under the word "tone" understands the quantitative and qualitative characteristics Sveta on the surface of an object, depending on the source Sveta and the color of the object itself. The degree of illumination of individual surfaces of the object depends on their position in space relative to the rays Sveta, due to which the force Sveta is subject to change. Areas of surfaces that are at right angles to the rays will be the most illuminated. Others, depending on the position in relation to the rays, will be less illuminated, since the rays fall at an acute angle, as if sliding over the surface.

The degree of illumination of the surface of objects depends on the nature of the source Sveta (bright or weak), the distance from the surface of the object to the source Sveta, as well as on the angle of incidence of the beam Sveta to the surface. In addition, the degree of illumination of the surface of an object also depends on the distance between the depicted object and the draftsman, which is due to the spatial light and air environment. The greater the distance, the weaker the illumination, similar to how it happens in open space ( in the steppe, on the sea), where bright light or a bright spot as it moves away, with all its brightness, will weaken.

Examining and studying the pattern chiaroscuro on simple geometric bodies, we see that the surface of the object, the degree of its illumination depends on the strength of the source Sveta, distance and angle of incidence of the beam on its surface. As the surface of the object approaches the source Sveta its illumination will increase and, conversely, as it moves away, it will weaken. Therefore, the strength of the contrast chiaroscuro on the surfaces of objects located closer to the source Sveta, will be sharper than on the surface of objects far from it. That's why light and shadows in the foreground should always be taken with more contrast than in the background, while the stretching of the tonal contrast should be systematic, without sharp transitions: from the most contrasting in the foreground to smoothly decreasing towards the background.

Better understand and understand patterns chiaroscuro paper models of various geometric bodies of small size will help ( big side within 5-7cm). They are easy to make at home from thick paper. As a source Sveta Can be used as artificial lighting table lamp) and natural ( Sun rays). By varying the position of the model, analyze, study the pattern chiaroscuro. In addition, to develop skills, try sketching from certain positions.

So, in order to consider the regularities chiaroscuro and details of all chiaroscuro gradations on geometric bodies, it is advisable to refer to the shape of a ball or similar spherical bodies.


Consider the shape of a sphere. Rays of light, falling on the spherical surface of the ball at an angle of 40-45 ° from the left side, clearly reveal its three-dimensional shape, separating light part from shady.

The degree of illumination of individual areas, depending on the nature of the curvature of the surface, is determined by the angle of incidence of the rays Sveta on its surface, as already mentioned above. If the most illuminated area of ​​the ball's surface is where the rays Sveta fall perpendicularly, the rest of the surrounding areas will be less illuminated. This is due to the curvature of surfaces extending from the original perpendicular beams to oblique beams and beyond until the surface is out of reach of the light beams. Thus, the halftones on the illuminated surface from the lightest to the less light smoothly pass over the spherical surface of the body, gradually increasing as the angle of incidence of the rays increases. Sveta. Reaching the critical point, they also smoothly pass to the shadow side, leaving the border of shadows on the surface, beyond which their own shadow begins. The spherical surface of the ball illuminated by exactly half does not have the same illumination in tone. Obviously, that part of the surface of the ball that is at right angles to the beam is most illuminated. Sveta. The rays fall on the rest of the surface of the ball at an ever sharper angle, less and less reaching the critical reachable point, and the shape gradually sinks into shadow. At the same time, the brightest spot on the light surface of the ball is a glare, around which there is a slight penumbra, due to which the painter can identify it. Of course, the strength of the tone of the whiteness of the paper is incomparable with the strength of the tone of a real glare on the illuminated surface of the body. Therefore, in a drawing, in order to reveal a glare, it is necessary to maintain a certain tonality, which is rarely possible for a draftsman. As a result, when depicting a ball or other objects, their illuminated surface remains undeveloped in a proper way, and the shadow processing is carried out in one key.

Own shadow always located on the surface opposite the illuminated surface of the object, and is determined by the angle of incidence of the rays Sveta. line border own shadows passes in one case along the edge of the faceted surface of the object, in the other - along a curved generatrix. In this case, the rays Sveta, defining the boundary between illuminated and shadow surfaces, fall tangentially to the spherical surface. Reflected rays fall on the shadow surface of an object, called a reflex, which come from the surrounding object space itself. reflected beams on shady surfaces give their own shadows some illumination (reflex), which, as it approaches the boundary line, shadows gradually intensifies. The reflex, in terms of tone strength, is darker than penumbra, only with artificially reflected rays can it be close to halftones, although the stretching of halftones in tone strength has a different degree of tonality. Given the round spherical shape of the ball, the boundary shadows throughout its length, the strength of the tone cannot be the same, uniform. Near, convex surface shady borders will be somewhat darker than the edges, since this part is closest to the painter.


Except own shadow, another one falls from the object itself - drop shadow. drop shadow is darker than its own, even when the object has a darkish color. The nature of the site falling shadows due to the nature of the form of the object itself and is, in essence, a projection of the object itself. Plot falling shadow at the very base of the subject looks darker own shadow.

Illuminated surfaces of objects consisting of planes ( cube, prism, pyramid), edges. Depending on their position to the beam Sveta they are illuminated differently. With visual perception, the most illuminated will be the face that is at a large angle to the beam Sveta. As the angle of inclination of the face to the beam decreases Sveta illumination will decrease.

Contrast chiaroscuro on the border of faceted objects will always be perceived unevenly. So, for example, a light surface will appear lighter, a dark surface will appear darker, and the edges of the edge lines will appear more distinct. It follows from this that the degree of illumination of the surface depends on the strength of the source Sveta, the distance from it to the surface, and also - from the angle of incidence light rays to the surface.

Knowledge of patterns chiaroscuro, obtained in the process of teaching drawing on simple gypsum geometric bodies will contribute to the solution of tonal problems when depicting more complex light and shade relationships, students should strive for harmonious unity in the drawing. All light-tonal nuances: light, half-light, shadow, half-shadow, reflex must be subordinate to the ensemble of the picture and not go out of the general tonal system. Thus, assimilating the laws of distribution Sveta and shadows, you can move on to their practical application in the drawings of simple geometric bodies with full tonal elaboration, in unity with the background.

It is known that a falling shadow repeats the shape of the object that casts it. But everyone who has tried to draw has probably observed how the shape of the shadow is distorted and does not exactly follow the contours of the subject. So what are the rules for building a falling shadow and what patterns can be identified here?

Building drop shadows

First, consider this using the example of a simple geometric body - a cube. The figures below show the scheme for constructing a falling shadow:

1. The light source is determined.
2. A perpendicular is drawn from the light source to the plane on which the object stands.
3. From the point on the plane where this perpendicular rests, we draw rays towards the object.
4. Imaginary rays are drawn from the light source, which pass through the edges of the object.
5. We mark with points the points of intersection of the rays on the plane and the rays from the light source.
6. We connect these points with a line and get the contour of the falling shadow.

If we summarize the above and say it easier, then you need: firstly, draw lines from a light source in space; secondly, draw lines on the plane from the perpendicular. The places of intersection of these rays will be the contour of the falling shadow.

In a cube drawing, such shading is relatively simple. But what if the subject is complex? For example, a vase, a tree, a car? Or even "worse" - a human figure? From my experience I will say that I always draw the falling shadows from such complex shapes approximately. And, probably, most artists do the same. However, this approximate drawing is still based on the above principle. In the mind, in the imagination of the artist, the same approximate projection is made, and on its basis the contour of the shadow is drawn. But to do so, you need to know the key principle that I outlined above. In the next picture you can see how I roughly lined up the drop shadow of the vase. Everything is done very approximately, but the principle is respected.

(Approximate shadow projection)

How does the shape of the shadow depend on the position of the light source

In the following pictures, I want to show how the position of the light source affects the shape of the shadow and its direction:

If the lamp (or the sun) is directly above the object from above, then the drop shadow will either be very short or disappear altogether. The more the light source is shifted to the side relative to the subject, the longer the shadow will be. The lamp can be located directly in front of the object or, conversely, behind it. In this case, the falling shadow will either move away from the viewer back, or will approach him forward. All these "stretching" or "squeezing" the shadows will affect its shape. In the above picture, I drew shadows from the ball. But if you project a falling shadow from a human figure, then its contour will be distorted in a similar way - either stretched or shortened. It does not matter from which object we draw a shadow. The principle will be the same.

How the saturation of the shadow and the clarity of its contour change

There is a pattern that the artist must learn well - the farther the shadow is cast from the subject, the lighter it is. The closer the shadow comes to the object from which it falls, the darker it is. This change in saturation can be stronger or weaker depending on the brightness of the light, the size of the shadow, the distance of the light source. But in any case, the shadow will not be "deaf". It should "breathe" or be "transparent", which is achieved by changing the saturation. If we are talking about an academic drawing, then shadows in the form of solid dark spots should be avoided. If we are talking about black and white graphics, then here, of course, the shadows can be completely black, but this is already a conditional image, not a realistic one.

In addition, novice artists should also pay attention to the clarity of the shadow contour. The more focused the light (an electric lamp, sunlight on a cloudless day…), the sharper the outline of the cast shadows will be. Conversely, the more the light is diffused (light in cloudy weather when it is cloudy), the more blurred the outline of the shadow will become.

Conclusion

Projecting the shadow correctly, determining how its saturation and sharpness of the contour changes are the main tasks that an artist needs to keep in mind when he draws shadows. Beginners, at first, will have to gradually embody all this in their drawing. But, with each time, these tasks will become easier and easier. And with the accumulation of experience, the drawing will be obtained already at an intuitive level.