Eliminate Dead Shadows
featuring Gabor Svagrik
Shadows are a common challenge in many artists’ work. One of the number one reasons for this is that the person may not be working from life enough while using too many photo references. If you are working from photo references, generally, the camera over or underexposes. Many artists tend to copy what they see in the photograph without realizing the shadow has more life when you look at the shadow itself. Even if you are not painting outside, you can paint anything inside a room with a simple light source. The key is to be able to see in the shadow itself. Working directly from life is Gabor's number one remedy for a “dead” looking shadow. If you are a landscape painter, get outside!
“Working from life is the number one remedy I have if you are looking at your shadows and they look ‘dead.’”
Reflected light is one of the elements that gives a shadow life. You can look into the shadow of a building and see the reflection of light in it. You won’t just see color, but you’ll see the value within the color. For example, if you have a tall building shadow, the light from the ground is going to bounce back and reflect onto the building. If you have a red building and green grass, the shadow of the building will have a greenish reflection back in it. The only way to see that reflection is in life. It will be directly in front of you, and you will not see dull or hard-to-make-out areas like you would have to decipher in a photo reference. You can practice this inside or outside. If you prefer an inside study, setting something up with a strong light source will allow you to see that shadow bouncing back into your form. The same thing happens outside, but organically.
Interested in learning from Gabor? Click the links below to find out how!