Drawing Simplified, Part II: Shadows and Form

One of the basic foundations of a good drawing or painting, besides rendering the proper shape, is good form. Form turns a two-dimensional object into a three-dimensional object, and gives interest to a picture. All objects have form, some more subtle than others, depending on the light source. Shadows provide form to objects and are denoted in values. The number of values (the dark and lightness) to a form depends on the light source, how close it is and how strong it is.

Shadows

Shadows provide dimension to an object. The shadow shape is the most discernable shape of value of an object. It is opposite the light source and reveals both the form (a solid shape with volume) and plane (a flattened area of a form) of an object.

Shadow Edges

Depending on the object, the edges of a shadow can be either sharp or soft. Observing an angular or planed object, as one plane meets another and turns away from the light, the shadow edges are sharp. For a curved object, the shadow edge is soft with a gradual shift in tone.

Distance also plays a part in the edges of a shadow. If the light source is close to the object, the cast shadow is softer on the edges. As you pull the light away from an object, the cast shadow is longer and has sharper edges.

Painting Shadows: Edges and Value

There’s so much to share about painting shadows, so I’m going to break it into a two-part series.

When we look at shadows, we are looking at the negative space, which is the area around the subject. This space is filled with shapes that are cast by the subject from either direct light or diffused light. A cast shadow occurs when an object blocks the light and casts a shadow on a surface. It is usually a darker shadow than the shadows on the object.

Changing the level of light will change the length of the cast shadows. The lower the light on the object, the longer the cast shadow. In this case, care should be taken that the shadow doesn’t become the focus of the picture, rather than the object itself.

Direct sunlight or a strong indoor light gives us a hard light source that creates clearly visible shadows and produces a hard crisp edge to the cast shadows, usually.
A cloudy sky gives us a soft light source which gives much subtler shadows with soft blurry edges.

When you’re painting a sunlit scene, the hardness of the shadows cast depends on the distance between the subject and the surface where the shadow falls. If the distance is only a few inches, it will tend to be a hard-edged shadow. If the distance is a few feet, as from a tree, the edges tend to be soft.

Value

Besides the edges of the shadow, it’s important to note the value of the shadows. Remember, value is the lightness or darkness of a subject. You can use a ten-point value scale to help you figure out the value of a shadow. also notice how they become lighter in value towards the edges.

You also need to take into account reflected light. Outdoors, shadows are often lighter than you think due to the sunlight bouncing back into them. Because of the amount of bounced light outside, a white object will reflect more light into its shadows.

Subject and Focus

 Recently, I wrote about two methods of composition, specifically the Golden Mean and the Rule of Thirds. Both have been popular techniques for designing a composition for centuries and are still valid today. I’d like to take a step back and talk about the first stages of designing a picture. Before you can decide how to arrange a subject, you need to have an interesting subject, one that you are drawn to and one that attracts the viewer. Along with that decision, you should be thinking about the main focus of your composition. Without a focus, the viewer will become confused, and the design will seem as if it is missing something.

Choosing an Interesting Subject

The decision to paint something revolves around two things: 1. the object, person, or view and 2. your interpretation of that subject. Both are related. What you paint has to be interesting enough to make you want to paint it, beyond thoughts of how pretty it is or how different it is. You need to see your subject as you would interpret it. You should be emotionally drawn to it, with the thought running through your mind, “There’s something about this subject that stirs my imagination. I need to draw/paint it!” For example, I was interested in this old red farmhouse that was surrounded by lush old oak trees with a meandering dirt path leading up to it. But, when some guinea hens began to strut toward the house, I knew I had my subject. I deliberately brightened the area around the leading hens to draw the eye inward onto the hens and up toward the house. 

A good painting unites both the subject before you and your interpretation. When you decide on your picture, you should take into account the values, light, shapes, and negative spaces and arrange all to make a unified whole.



“The artist brain is the sensory brain: sight and sound, smell and taste, touch. These are the elements of magic, and magic is the elemental stuff of art.” Julia Cameron, The Artist’s Way

Your Composition Should Have a Focus

Whether it’s a drawing or a painting, your composition should include something that represents the central focus.

Wherever we look, our eyes naturally find something to focus on, and as we do, everything else becomes secondary. It’s impossible to focus on more than one thing at once. You will see things in your peripheral vision, but not as clearly as the subject your eyes are focused on. So, too, should your picture have something that draws the eye, with everything around it holding a subordinate position. Without a central focus, your picture is just a collection of artifacts. A focus is where the lines of direction and movement should lead the eye. That place should draw a person’s attention and keep it in the picture. Sometimes it’s obvious what the focal point is.

This picture, Duck Sitting on Falls, is a perfect example of a strong focal point. I remember that it was a pleasantly warm summer day so I decided to check out the park where a fresh water pond with a stone bridge stretched several blocks. There were ducks and geese enjoying the water on one end of the pond. At the other end, the sound of a slow waterfall called me like a peaceful lure. A few ducks were lazily swimming about, but I was taken by the nature of the scene on the falls in front of me. A duck is resting in the sun near the edge of the falls. He appears to be enjoying the cool, rhythmic flow of the water below. It inspired me emotionally and I knew right away that he would be my focal point.

The focal point is the most interesting part of the picture and it’s what draws the eye on first sight. But how does one figure out the focal point in a scene where there are a number of things vying for attention? This is where interpretation comes in. You are the artist, it’s up to you to figure out your focal point, emphasize it, and subdue or eliminate the other items. 

To create a single powerful center of interest, use the brightest colors, the sharpest edges, and the most contrasting values to make it stand out. The trees in the background of this picture have softer edges and receding values. The waterfall below the duck directs the eye vertically upward. The brightest area of the picture is the body of the duck, and it has the sharpest edges and strongest contrast.

The next time you decide to paint or draw something, keep in mind both the importance and emotional investment of the subject and how it can become the focal point of your picture. 

Remodeling a Painting - Part IV

Welcome back! I’m excited to share with you the last in the series of Remodeling a Painting. This step-by-step instruction has been a great way to motivate me to take a second look at a painting that wasn't working. It's also a great way to show you what I'm doing and explain my approach as I work on it. I am pretty happy with the way it's turned out. 

In this last segment, I'm addressing shadows and the color in the shadows, edges, highlights and loads of details. I've warmed up the background color a bit as well using a technique called scumbling. I've included my palette so you can see the color mixtures.

I hope that you've enjoyed this Remodeling a Painting series. Please drop me a line and let me know what you think. 

The Composition  18H x 24W, Oil on Canvas   

Edges

When considering the focus of a painting, you need to think about your edges. Edges are the borderlines between shapes of color. They are where things fit together, and define where the transitions occur. In painting, edges are either "sharp," "moderate," "soft," or "lost."
Sharp edges attract the eye and are often used with contrasting values to bring attention to a subject. It's a good idea to use sharp edges near or on your focal point.

Soft edges are like wall flowers, they don't want to attract attention, so the edges are blurred or softened. I use a dry brush to soften edges.
Lost edges occur when you can't tell the difference where one shape of a color begins and another one ends. Lost edges can provide mystery and a quiet atmosphere to a picture. They also help to depict movement, such as in a waterfall.

In this painting, the sharpest edges are the pen, tambourine and the lower part of the mandolin The inherent shapes of the mandolin and the guitar provide moderate edges, but I've also sharpened the edges of the pen and tambourine with contrasting values. I've softened the edges of the fabric, especially at the top edge. 

 

The Sheet Music and Fountain Pen

The paper was the most conflicting part of the original painting, partly because of the coolness of the color. For harmony, I warmed up the color by using various shades of yellow, peach, and gold. The shaping and position provided interest and, with the pen and pattern in the fabric, directs the eye into the picture. 

For the writing on the music, I added some notes and lines, but only a few. I first worked it out on the drawing before I transferred a design using charcoal onto the canvas. The idea is to provide a suggestion of music, without getting too detailed. I softened the "ink" to a dark gray so that it wouldn't stand out too much. 

The fountain pen is important as are the ink drips, so I sharpened the edges and added some highlights.

Shadows and Temperature

The color in the shadows of a subject are directly related to the temperature of light. If the light is cool, the shadows will be warm, if the light is warm, the shadows will be cool. Shadows on a cloudy day will be warm, whereas shadows on a bright sunny day are cool.

I've maintained from the start that the light source in this painting is a warm incandescent light. For this reason, the shadows are cool in temperature. I've used some blue and green in my shadows in the fabric and near the instruments. In the shadow of the tambourine, a reflection off of the instrument also includes local color in the shadow.

A color changes its appearance when either the light changes or its adjacent colors change.

Scumbling Technique

For the dark background, I used a method called scumbling. Scumbling is the application of a thin layer of paint with a dry brush and a loose hand over an existing layer. The idea is to allow parts of the already existing paint below to remain exposed. In most cases, scumbling is used over dried paint. My dark background was a bit cool, so I decided to warm it up slightly by scumbling alizarin crimson into it. It's very subtle change, but one that really makes a difference. I used a large bristle brush and pushed and pulled the paint over the dark areas with wide motions.

My Palette

My palette consisted of Cadmium Yellow, Cadmium Ornge, Medium Red, Alizarin Crimson, Transparent Oxide Yellow, Viridian, Ultramarine Blue, Burnt Umber and Titanium White.

I used a #8 bristle round for the background scumbling, and various medium and small sizes of synthetic rounds and brights brushes

Next

There's nothing better than painting en plein air on a beautiful warm spring day.

En plein air is a French expression meaning “in the open air”, and refers to the act of painting outdoors with the artist’s subject in full view.

My next series, Painting on the Farm River, will take you step-by-step with me as I paint this beautiful section of the Farm River on a warm and sunny day.

Don’t skimp with your paint on your palette. Put enough out so that you have something to work with and so you don’t have to keep stopping to mix and add paint.

Questions? Comments?

I hope you enjoyed this last of the four-part series, Remodeling a Painting. Feel free to share with others. I'd love to hear from you. Are you feeling inspired? What are you doing to stimulate your creative side?

Visit my website for more information about me, classes, exhibitions and for photos of my work.