Here is a great assignment: Practice drawing and painting shadows emerging from underneath objects. By including a shadow, it implies the location of the light source. Shadows help to anchor your subjects. Look at the floral painting in this BobBlast email - for realistic paintings, I include shadows. For my abstracts, shadows are not included because there may not be a light source.
And what color is the shadow? Generally, the color may be the complementary color of the light source. Paint a snow scene on a sunny day and the shadows on the snow will be bluish (orange sun, blue shadow).
Watch the demo to see an easy way to get started and a simplified approach to painting convincing shadows. For a realistic image, anchor the subject sitting on top of their own shadow.
In the painting part of the demo, I establish the direction of the light source to also create dimension. You will hear me say "Dark Against Light, Dark Against Light" over and over again. Incorporating a light source in your paintings will give focus, shape, dimension and a point of interest! Once you figure out where your light source is, you will know where to place the shadow.
Summary Notes:
1. Practice drawing and painting shadows.
2. Set object on top of its shadow.
3. Shadow emerges from underneath the object.
4. Shadow move away from the light source.
5. Shadows work best with realism; no need for shadows with abstracts if you aren’t using a particular light source.
Now, get out of your studio - go outside and look at shadows early in the day or late afternoon!
Want more Light • Color • Shadow info?
We are offering a one day zoom Painting Workshop
Paint the Effects of Light
Thursday, April 21, 2022
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Final day for entries is May 3, 2022
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Something New - ASK BOB!
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March 29 • 10:00am PT
"Bob's Favorite Brushes & Other Tools"
Online Workshops - Broadcast from Burridge Studio!
•Non-Objective Abstract Painting - April 1-2, 2022
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• April 4, 5 & 7, 2022 •
Color Lesson: Making and Using Neutrals - ONLINE WORKSHOP
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Monthly Demos - All on ZOOM
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•April 19, 2022
“Painting the Illusion of Glassware”
•May 10, 2022
“Quick, Easy Landscape Painting”
•June 21, 2022
"Making your own Collage Papers"
•July 19, 2022
"Gluing a Watercolor Paper Painting onto a Wood Panel"
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