Construct cast shadows
Rule 10
workload …
Cast shadows let things appear real.
Shadows make things come to life
Did you know that very often the shadows mirror the color of the sky? This is why most shadows are blue to grey. But there is even more to find out.
go to the lesson …
15 min.
Watch the film to learn about the 10th rule.
Script
Hello, happy sketching!
Shadows have a somewhat hidden existence. It is no wonder that they do not play a role for the average observer, but for the draughtsman, they are of central significance.
Let’s take a look at what shadows are and what role they serve. Here the shadow sticks together with the object. but here, we have a white box. And look closer. The white box reflexes the light. this is why the shadow of the white box is here, next to the box a bit lighter. This is very often so with light objects.
Shadows are often sources of emotion. They are dark and therefore uncanny. But not just that.
And it’s the same with cast shadows as with fluttering lines. It is not crucial that every detail is right. It’s the mind that thinks the shadow through. The effect of the picture comes from the overall picture.
So what you should keep in mind, you should always put a shadow. Otherwise, the objects will fly.
How does the construction of shadows work?
Without shadows everything looks ghostly, because only what is really also has a cast shadow. The location of the shadow depends on the angle of the sun or the light source. From the sun, a vertical line is drawn to the horizon. This is the base point. It is the vanishing point of the shadow lines. That means that all lines of the shadow must be related to this base point.
Observe the direction of the legs of the chair and the table. All these shadows are directing towards the light source. And you can even see, that shadows grow bigger the farer away the are from the light source. You can see this the best on the shadow of the small bottle.
Go to the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam
Perspective of a cube with shadow, Elisabeth Kemper, 1816 – 1852, brush
