"T R A U M A"
..lighting theory.

˓ ִֶָ𓄲 ☁️ BEFORE WE START 𖦹 ࣪˖ ˒
You know, I actually do not like talking about this topic too much, at least in regards of personal experiences and stuff, as I also still make a lot of mistakes and do not think I should be taken as a guide/orientation. So, this chapter will focus on general informations and "rules" I have found on the Internet in terms of using light and shadows correctly when it comes to art and/or designing.

Just a little disclaimer beforehand, this chapter contains a lot of theory and possibly dry text, have fun with that!

Before we actually start tho, have this very simplified guide on how lighting (and shadows) work(s). Maybe that is even all you need to figure the rest out yourself.

(Image from: https://www.deviantart.com/keididoodle/art/Lighting-study-691627035)

I can also provide a more complex guide if you want it and I will try to simplify the info it comes with — it all comes from a guide/blog I have found on the internet and it is linked down in the sources at the end of this chapter.

(image from: https://www.clipstudio.net/how-to-draw/archives/163236)

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˓ ִֶָ𓄲 ☁️ LIGHT AREAS 𖦹 ࣪˖ ˒
First things first, let us start with the light areas and everything that our light source gets its hands on.

₀₀₁ direct light:
Here i am referring to the area(s) of our object/model (or whatever else) directly facing our light source. It is basically the area where you see the „lightest light" on the form.

(image from: https://www.clipstudio.net/how-to-draw/archives/163236)

₀₀₂ halftone:
The halftone is also known as the „base color", where the values of a color start fading (darkening and/or brightening) into a neutral point between light and shadow.

(image from: https://www.clipstudio.net/how-to-draw/archives/163236)

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˓ ִֶָ𓄲 ☁️ DARK AREAS 𖦹 ࣪˖ ˒
Onto the more fun part, come and join the dark side my peeps.

₀₀₁ core shadow:
A „core shadow" is the contour of the shadow on our object. If we look back at the sphere I added as a more complex guide example above, we can find a ring-like shape following the shape of the object's surface. This shadow gets created because neither the direct light  from our light source nor the reflected light (which is bouncing off the table in our example) can reach this part of the object.

(base image from: https://www.clipstudio.net/how-to-draw/archives/163236)

₀₀₂ middle dark tone:
The middle dark tone is similar to our „halftone" from earlier, it is a neutral tone between the lightest and darkest tones of the shadow.

₀₀₃ cast shadow:
A „cast shadow" is basically the silhouette that our object/model (or whatever else) is projecting on the surface where it is standing. Its shape and size can alternate,depending on the placement of our light source and therefore the angle in which the light is hitting our object/model.

(image from: https://www.clipstudio.net/how-to-draw/archives/163236)

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˓ ִֶָ𓄲 ☁️ REFLECTIONS 𖦹 ࣪˖ ˒
Reflections occur when the light hits a surface and changes its direction. Any surface can reflect light, though some materials definitely more than others. Just like some materials/colors can „swallow" more light than others.

₀₀₁ highlights:
Highlights are the direct reflection of our light source on our object/model. Its position depends on your point of view – if you move, the highlight will also change its position. As for the value, highlights have a lighter tone than the our light source, but the intensity depends on the material of the object/model. As you can see from the example below, metal has a much more visible „shine" (and therefore „more intense highlights") than the wood block.

(image from: https://www.clipstudio.net/how-to-draw/archives/163236)

₀₀₂ reflected light:
I already mentioned this earlier. The reflected light is the light that changes its direction after bouncing on the surface (that our object/model is standing/lying/... on) and is then projected on the object/model. You can see this better on the colored-in version of our more complex guide from earlier.

(image from: https://www.clipstudio.net/how-to-draw/archives/163236)

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˓ ִֶָ𓄲 ☁️ TYPES OF LIGHT 𖦹 ࣪˖ ˒
The sun is our primary source of natural light; we can observe how its intensity, colors, and shadows change throughout the day and adjust the light and shadows on our project according to it.

Whereas light from artificial sources like our smartphone screens, candles, etc. is more constant and allows us more control over its direction, intensity or even color.

(image from: https://www.clipstudio.net/how-to-draw/archives/163236)

Another good idea is to play with the direction of the light, it can totally change the atmosphere and overall vibes of our project.

(image from: https://www.clipstudio.net/how-to-draw/archives/163236)

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˓ ִֶָ𓄲 ☁️ SOURCES 𖦹 ࣪˖ ˒
SOURCES 𖦹 ࣪˖ ˒
Down below is a summary of all sources used for this chapter.

₀₀₁ Text(s):
https://www.clipstudio.net/how-to-draw/archives/163236

₀₀₂ Image(s):
https://www.deviantart.com/keididoodle/art/Lighting-study-691627035
https://www.clipstudio.net/how-to-draw/archives/163236

₀₀₃ Information(s):
https://www.clipstudio.net/how-to-draw/archives/163236
+ my own "knowledge"/understanding of lighting and stuff

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© eggyeuls, 2022