Playing with Light, Shadows and Values - Painting & Drawing Tips

Have you ever spent time in the DARK SIDE?

With Halloween coming and the night slowly creeping into our daytime hours, Darkness seems part of our life.  

Meet My Shadow People - Come Join them in the DARK SIDE

When Max and I finish our evening walk it is often very dark. I am holding a flashlight and looking for the next street light.  It gives me lots of time to study shadows. 

 

In Art we have 2 Shadows: The Core Shadow and the Cast Shadow

Like me you have probably studied shadow diagrams like the one above.  Probably even drawn them too.  I must admit I didn't learn much from them.  But one day I took a flashlight, shone it on a few shapes and really started to look at things.  It changed my perspective.  

Shadows are really not like they appear in photographs. . . .

I learned that shadows have their own life.  They are very much affected by the light around them. To understand some of the things I noted take a look at the Cast Shadow. 
***My video "Getting Those Shadows Working for You " offers more examples and discussion on this topic.  

Cast Shadows are not all sharp black shapes

Secrets of the Shadow World: 

1.  Photographs show a shadow as a black shape.  But really if you take a closer look you will see the value is not consistent throughout the shadow shape. Shadows are very dark near the object but get lighter as they spread out away from the subject. (This is very clear with the picture below.  The Reflected light from the surface makes the middle part of the shadow much lighter than the ends.  

2.  Shadows are not all sharp edges.  I always find edges a very important part of anything I draw.  I noticed that shadows have very different kinds of edges.  Close to the object they have sharp edges but as they move away from the object the edges get softer or fuzzier.  The longer the shadows the fuzzier the edges get.  

Core Shadows can look very different than the ones on the Apple you drew in Drawing Class

3. The Core Shadow holds many secrets.  When I compare 'my little person' to the apple, I can see many different shadow values.  Reflected light is working on not only the sides but the tops and bottoms of the curves in the shadows.  That distinctive dark line - The Terminator - on the Apple is much harder to find on 'my little person'. 

Two Objects with the same light source have different shadow patterns if they are in different planes. 

4. The Core Shadow on two objects with the same light source is very different.  I think this was the biggest surprise to me.  When working with a forest of trees, my thoughts were the Core  Shadows were all the same. This is only true if they are in the same plane in the picture.  If some trees are in the foreground and some in the background for example, their Core Shadow patterns are  quite different.  Although the light source (the sun) is coming from the same place,  it will hit them differently. My example only had 2 little People in 2 Planes.  Try it with 3.   Line up 3 Little People and put one in the Foreground, one in the midground and 1 in the background.  It is really interesting how different the Core Shadow is.  

 

Now don't panic.  You really don't have to know all this stuff to draw and paint.  However, I do think being more aware of these things will change how you view your subjects. The Big Game Changer for me was how much Reflected Light affected both the Core Shadows and the Case Shadows.  

 Free Printable Download: Mushroom Sheet

I played around with drawing some shapes and shadows and put together this little Mushroom Activity Sheet.  I found it a great exercise. 

Mushroom Sheet: Here the Light Source is from the left

Put an arrow for your Light Source and then shade the picture accordingly.  Can you make the leaves curl up and down?  The mushroom appear round?  How about making the skirt on the stem spread out away from the stem?  (I like to pretend a little piece even gets caught in the light.)  Note how the shadow from the stick reinforces the idea of leaves rolled up on the ground.  

Mushroom Sheet: Try it again with the Light Source coming from the Right. 

 I worked on two examples, one with the light source coming from the left and one from the right.  You can really see how the light source changes what is happening in the picture.

You are welcome to download and print my Mushroom Sheet Free.  It fits on an 8.5 x 11 piece of paper.  Print several and try different light sources.  

See My video "Getting Those Shadows Working for You "  on YouTube for further discussion.    

Have fun with your light and shadows, I hope it leads you to NEW adventures.  Next week let's look at Ambient Light.  Like Reflected Light it changes the shadows but also the COLOUR of things.  

FACE-TO-FACE Gallery show!!

Artswest Showcase

October 1 - 31, 2020

Landmark Pop-Up Gallery - 15140 North Bluff Rd, White Rock

Full Covid Safety Rules in Effect - Only 6 in the Gallery at a time 

Open: Wed 10-5pm  Thurs & Fri 10-8, Sat 10-5pm Sun 12-5pm

Come see what our Art Group has been doing - Lots of new Original pieces of Art, special

One-of-a-Kind Art Items and special gift items for any occasion.  

Bonus Show Activities - Semi-Private Classes:

Learn Drawing Skills making Christmas Cards - Fun with Candles and Ink

Oct 14: Acrylic Painting Class – Joanne Dennis
Oct 19: Fused Glass - Gunilla Kay
Oct 23: Christmas Card Class – Candles & Ink - Wendy Mould, 
Oct 29: Ceramics Class – Doris Biddle

All Classes 10-12:30 pm 

Classes $50 each.  Some supplies included

Registration:  Contact Wendy  

Do you have big/small projects on the go?  

Looking for a sounding board, help, suggestions, techniques. You and your Inner Critic looking to expand your discussions.  I am available for Online Coaching/Teaching  (3 sessions 30 minutes each $75). more info here.   

  
Many find this post helpful: Turn your Inner Critic into your BFF

 

Be sure to like and share my posts.  You won't miss a single post if you Follow by Email 

Have a great Artful Day,

Wendy  

Painting with Dirty Water - Painting and Drawing Tips

OMG!  It was my turn to putt.  

Fast greens, sloping to the left, 10 ft to the hole.  Not easy.  

 There was no way I could use a full swing.  Not even a half swing.  Or a quarter swing.  We're talking only a nudge.  Then wait and hope. . .   

Isn't that just like painting with dirty water?. . . .

PICK OF THE HERD - Watercolour. Matted to 16 x 20, $500

When painting with watercolour there are all kinds of way to describe the mix of pigment to water. A really thick mix, so dry it barely moves. A rich creamy mix like thick cream. (The full swing)  A slightly thinner mix like milk. (The half swing)  Then there is the thinner mix like weak tea - the quarter swing.  But dirty water, that is a very thin mix of pigment to water - THE NUDGE.  

Looking at my horses in 'The Pick of the Herd" you might think I definitely didn't need dirty water to paint them.  But actually you might be surprised.  There were times when I was glazing, when I did want to nudge the colour a bit and soften the edges.  Take a look at the background.  That was definitely a case of Dirty Water.  Dirty water has many uses in the painting world.  (See last post 'Secrets they never told you about glazing with watercolour'.

Notice the test area for my Dirty Water in the background between the horses legs.  

How do you make Dirty Water?

Seems easy enough. Mix a bit of pigment with lots of water and away you go.  I find that having the right mixing space really makes a big difference.  Mixing colours in my palette is fine when I want darks but the subtle light shades can become tinted so easy: bits of pigment in the crevices of the palette; drops of pigment as I move across the palette; colours running from other areas. Not what I want.

Dishes are great to mix colours - note how you can have 2 colours and blend them in various strengths. 

My favourite mixing trays are . . . .

From the Dollar Store.  They have nice little white porcelain plates 3.5 x 3.5 inches square, that are great.  My paints don't bead up, they mix or separate as they want, I can may big puddles or small, and have two colours mixed several different strengths on one little plate.  They are easy to clean when I want  free clean spot to mix on.  They come in different shapes as a lot of them are little sushi dishes. They are awesome for mixing dirty water in large or small quantities.

My dirty water puddle.  Remember watercolour dries lighter and will also be diluted more when used wet into wet. 

Painting my Background with Dirty Water . . .

In my picture 'The Pick of the Herd', I wanted the silver grays of  the Thompson Plateau area in early spring.  The horses are out on the range which is warm and arid in summer but after the snow it is silvery grays as the ground wakes up for spring.  I wanted to tell that story.

Putting water down first I painted my subtle light grays over the area.  While things were still wet I added slightly darker colours to suggest shrubs and bushes. Painting wet into wet meant I would have soft edges and using Dirty Water, kept all the colours muted.  I used the same colours as I used on my horses and fences. After everything was dry, I used some dry brushing to put some foliage around the horses. 

Further Reading:
Get Those Values Working for You - looks at how values can bring your work depth and mass
6 Stories Your Edges Tell - Looks at the story your hard and soft edges tell in a painting

Art by Wendy Studio/Gallery is always Open

Looking to move your Drawing Skills to the Next Level?

Book a 3 Pack of Private Lessons with Me - 3 Lessons 2.5 hr each $225

Drawing/Painting lessons in graphite, ink, watercolour, watercolour pencils or coloured pencils Or any combination of these.
Flexible Schedule, at my Studio/Gallery, N. Surrey. 

Gift Certificates Available 

February is Marketing Month for Artists!!

Each February I offer an all day workshops “Let’s Get Your Art Out There!!”
2020 Date: February 23, 10-3pm

Having trouble getting started or knowing where and what to do?

This workshop gets your Marketing Plans fired up to new and more successful levels. Learn the basics of today’s Marketing World, learn how to develop markets both online with Social Media and off line in your community, learn how to develop a productive network, and set up a Marketing Plan that will work for you. Taking this workshop is a valuable step in moving your business forward. Workshop runs 10-3:00 pm with a lunch break.    Class limited to 8 people  2 Spots Left

Cost $90 + Tx       Pre-Registration Required, contact Wendy      Gift Certificates Available

Save the Date . . . . .

March 6-8, 2020 - The West Fine Arts Show.  Peter Ewart Middle School, 7755 202A St, Langley BC.  Yes, I have teamed up with this great show event: 20 Professional Artists, Awesome Art, a show you shouldn't miss.  

My Etsy Store is always OPEN: Etsy - WendyMouldsArt

Originals, Prints, Commission Work and Instant Printable Cards for all Seasons available.

Be sure to like and share my posts to keep me coming into your box, 

You won't miss a single post if you Follow by Email or Like my Facebook Page.

Have a great Artful Day,

Wendy