What is the difference between form and cast shadows

T he ca s t s hadow of the beehive implies th e te x ture of the grass, even where grass has n o t been d r awn. Cast Shadows and Three-Dimensional Form In your efforts to convey three-dimensions in your drawings, it is helpful to remember the following points: Shadows serve to define the internal contours of an object. Cast shadows serve to orient an object in its environment; they also help to describe that environment. The characteristics that distinguish cast shadows from stains, wet spots, and other variations in value are these: A cast shadow is darkest near the object that casts it and lightest at the point farthest from that object.

Painting shadows requires thought about the light source, and cast shadows are no exception. The further a cast shadow falls from the object creating it, the lighter the shadow gets and the softer the edge often becomes.

In this Evolve painting, you can see that while the light is the focal point, the colorful cast, and form shadows create beautiful dimension in this piece.

So now that we have explored two basic types of shadows, how can we make them seem convincing and realistic? For beginners, the first step is to ensure that you use the correct edges for your shadows. This means that your form shadows have soft edges and the edges of your cast shadows remain razor-sharp. Once those edges are correct, you can begin to consider the value of your shadows. Value is a critical part of any painting.

However, the inverse is also a pitfall. Many beginner painters will paint all of their shadows pure black. However, shadows are not one flat color and certainly not completely black! Instead, they have light and dark values, and color within the shadow.

If you look around in nature, you would be hard-pressed to find a purely black shadow. In reality, various light sources flood into shadows indirectly, bouncing off of other objects and affecting the shadow. A blue sky, white clouds, a bright yellow field, and various other things will all affect the color of a cast shadow.

Shadows are rarely black, instead, they are affected by the object they cast onto or the environment around them. In order to paint realistic shadows, an artist must keep this in mind and paint shadows with the color they can see in them. A beautifully accurate and effective example of cast and form shadows, with values carefully considered, by Evolve student May. Realistic cast and form shadows require stronger concentration than many beginners realize.

However, if you start slowly and follow these few rules, you will be off to a strong start in creating accurate shadows. You can practice today by identifying cast and form shadows in the objects around you and looking closely to see the true value or color of each one. Click here to learn more about making realistic art!

A form shadow usually takes on a darker tone of the local color as you would paint it if it were lit by the light source. A cast shadow from the same subject matter takes on the darker tones of the surfaces it is projected onto.

The Temperatures of the Shadows—Warm or Cool? Generally speaking, if the light source is warm, such as the sun at a sunset or an incandescent light indoors, then the shadows on the subject matter will be cool.

When I say 'cool', I mean cool relative to the temperature of the lighted area on the same subject matter. If you throw a warm light on a red apple, the temperature of the shadows will be a cooler red.

So in that case, mix blue or cool green into the red to paint the shadow. Bright sunlight usually produces a shadow of cool temperature. Yellow cast indoor lights produce cool temperature shadows.

If the same apple is lit with a northern light which is generally a cool light , the light area will become fairly cool. As a result, the shadows will be warmer by comparison.

To paint this, you would mix violet with red to warm it up when compared to the cool lit regions. Northern exposure generally yields warm temperature shadows. Refrain from blending black or brown into the local color of the subject matter. Ditch your black and earth brown colors if you want vibrant shadows.

Use the colors from the primary color family. If you are painting a red apple on a yellow cloth, you wouldn't take black and mix it with red to make the shadow.