LIGHT for Visual Artists Understanding & Using Light in Art & Design sit:CONTENTS ™@ FOREWORD @ PART 1: LIGHTING FUNDAMENTALS Chapter 1: Basic Principles Chapter 2: Light Direction Chapter 3: Natural Light Chapter 4: Indoor & Artificial Light Chapter 5: Shadows Chapter 6 : How We Perceive Surfaces Chapter 7: Diffuse Reflection Chapter 8: Direct Reflection Chapter 9: Translucency & Transparency Chapter 10 : Colour @ PART 2: PEOPLE & ENVIRONMENTS Chapter 11: Light & People Chapter 1 2: Light in the Environment @ PART 3: CREATIVE LIGHTING Chapter 1 Chapter 1 Chapter 1 3: Composition & Staging 4: Mood & Symbolism 5: Time & Place M GLOSSARY INDEX & PICTURE CREDITS 12 20 42 34 74 82 92 102 120 128 142 150 158 166 71: FOREWORD very little detailed information available Fe seems to be very little Reais eucial subject for artists of all kinds, whatever on what is 2 ¢ Ty discipline or media: light — in all the guises in which oe i on a daily basis. I have cead countless books ‘we encounter Pealing with digical and traditional arc, and che subject of Tighe, inall ics complexity, only icially. Yet anyone wishing to an et seems to be touched upon very S| y ilusion of reality should have a good understanding of how Tight behaves in the physical world Light is the fundamental building block of observational latt, and is also the key to controlling composition and story- felling. It is one of the most important aspects of visual art but also one of the most overlooked. Having never found a detailed book about light I decide¢ {0 write this one. Most of what I say here is based on my (Own observations, so —as with all areas of art — there might Besome subjective judgements with which not everyone agrees. It may also be that some f find some of the information so obvious that it doesn't need explaining: however, I hope that this book goes beyond being a basic Primer in understanding and using light and will offer Something new for everyone. I also hope it will be a Springboard for your own careful observation of the world and investigations into the qualities of light, both objective and subjective Richard Yor1: BASIC PRINCIPLES This introductory chapter examines the fundamentals of everyday lighting situations, providing you with all the information you need to develop an understanding of how light works in normal daylight and in artificial light. Light is not difficult to understand, but it does require a conscious effort to observe its effects because you don't usually notice them in everyday life. Once your eyes have been opened, however, you will discover a whole new dimension to the world that will greatly enhance your visual perception and your aesthetic sensibilities. (On acloudless day blue light scattered by the earth's atmosphere shines on everything around us, Note the blue t ‘on the building and windows, PART LIGHTING FUNDAMENTALS ‘This frst section of the book uses a dia- gram of a white ball on a white ground to demonstrate how light behaves in different everyday situations. Here ic illustraces a sunny afternoon, The main source of light is the sun, while the blue sky supplies a second source of light with very different characteristics Some bounced light berween the white base and che ball supplies a third source of light. The brightest light is coming from the sun and is white light emanating, from a small sousce, which causes it to cast sharp-edged shadows. The second source, the blue sky, isa very large light WHY IS THE TERMINATOR THE DARKEST AREA ON THE BALL? This is partly because of the effect of, contrast ~ being so near to the very bright side of the ball in sunlight makes ic appear co be darker, but itis also receiving less of che bounced light reflected by the white card. So, unlike the rest of the ball, which is receiving either full sunlight or light reflected from the white card, ies main source of illumination is the blue sky. Ic is the area in between the main light (the sun) and the fill light (che reflected light from the card). (CHAPTER1- BASIC PRINCIPLES source and, as a resul, has very sofe shadows (which are completely masked by the direce light coming from the sun). The smaller the source of the light, the harder the shadows. “The light coming from the blue sky ha affects everything in this scene. The shadlow cast by the bal is blue because it is illuminated by blue skylight, since the ball is shielding it from the white light of che sun. ‘Those parts of the ball not in digect sunlight also take on a blue hue because they are lit by the blue sky. Finally, che light that is relecced beeween the card and the bal is also predominantly blue (even though the card and ball are white), since it is blue skylight that is being reflected by the white objects. The surfaces that ace clos- cer cogether receive more of this reflected light than those thae are further apart; rey strong colour cast which the bortom part of the ball is lighter than the centre because ic is closer to the white card ‘The darkest areas in the image are che base of the cast shadow and the border WHY IS THE LIGHT FROM THE SKY BLUE? Visible lighe is made up of tiny particles ‘of pure energy called photons, which have different wavelengehs depending fon their colour: blue light comprises photons with shorter wavelengehs, whereas red Light is made up of photons ‘with longer wavelengths White Lighe fom the sua is composed of a continuous spectzum of colours, conventionally divided into the colours of the rainbow (with progressively longer wavelengths: Violet, indigo, blue, green, yellow, ‘orange and red). Iris the mixeuse of these colours that produces whiee. between the areas of the ball thae ate in sunlight and in shade: this zone ist called the terminator. The base of the cast shadow is very dark because it receives no sunlight and the ball is masking it from most of the skylight and bounced light. The other end of the cast shadow is lighter because itis receiving more light from the sky and bounced light from the ball ee This diagram represents the difering wavelengths of the photons that make up red and blue light.However, when light cravels through the atmosphere of the earth, the shorter ‘wavelengths of light become scattered. ‘The earth’s atmosphere is composed of various gases, and the atoms and molecules from which these are formed are suspended within it. Photons travelling through the atmosphere ineeract with these acomic particles, which can absorb and e-emic th photons and make them travel in another direction. Shorter wavelengehs are more likely than longer ones to be deflected, so thae the photons scattered in all ditections by this inceraccion age predominantly blue ‘The sun's light glows red at sunset because the shorter blue wavelengths have been lost due to scattering. Note, however, that the ‘seattered blue ight is reflecting back from the eastern sky and acting as afill onthe foreground waves. Longer wavelengehs of light, such as red, can cravel further through the armo- sphere without being scatcered. This is why sunsets are red: as the sunlight erav els through a thicker layer of air to reach tus when ic is lower in the sky a loc of the blue light is lost from scattering, and the lighe that remains is predominandly ted, The effect of blue photons bouncing in all dicections is that the atmosphere fs actually glowing with blue light, an effect that is clearly visible from space. This blue lighe is strong enough to illuminate areas that are not in direct sunlight, which is why you can still see when you are in open shade ‘The shadows in this photo have a strong blue east because they are being illuminated by the blue sky [PART LIGHTING FUNDAMENTALS. [Radiance ‘When light hies a surface it either psorbed by it, depending pon clea ofthe surface. A white ob- we il eer all wavelengths equal, Fear black objet wil abso them Si aehen white ight hicsa red surface Shebluc and green wavelengehs are a- ed and the red ight reflected Light hits a red surface reflected by the surface 0, if whi the photon vill be sed. When these photons hit the next surface in cheir path they will chereforeilluminace it with red light. This phenomenon is known as radi- tance, and causes the colours of adjacent ‘objects to have an effect on each other. Radiance is usually a subtle effecr, land ic rakes a great deal of light fo it to become apparent. In soft or dim fight it may not be visible at all, but in bright light ic can add a loc of colour ects, Light reflect to the objects ica ing between objects of the same colour can create a very saturated effect ~ the bounced light reinforces the existing colous of che underlying surface, mak- ing the colour glow vividly. Take a look sorld examples below to at che twe see this effece. You will sometimes see this phenomenon in bright daylight, RIGHT The light reflecting from this Venetian blind is projecting the colour of thewood onto the wall FARRIGHT As the ight bounces betwoon these wooden slats the colour of the wood Fsenhanced because ight ofthe same Solour is reflecting back onto it. The eloured light and the underlying su combine to create a glowing and saturated Yersion of the wood!'s existing colour ‘CHAPTERT- Basic PRINCIPLES ‘The rear abdomen of this insact has been strongly coloured by red light reflecting from the poppy. [Note how the red reflecting from the lava lamp Is cast onto thef inthis digital rende ‘and the curtain@ Balancing light & shade How you will choose to represent a scene is subjective and open co interpee- tation. Mose situations will have a light to shade ratio that produces a balanced range of light and dark, which is what wwe perceive to be normal, However there are some situations where the ‘natural order of things tends towards either extreme of light or dark, such as fog or snow on the one hand, or night- time on the other. Alternatively, you ‘might choose to emphasize one of these extremes for visual impact, or to convey a specific feeling. HIGH-KEY LIGHTING Hig! nance of white or very light rones and tend to look light and airy. High-key ey images have a predomi- lighting is often (bue not always) soft, and detail is generally low. In nature high-key lighting is found in fog and snow, where even shadows ate light due to the amount of reflected light bounc- ing around. LOW-KEY LIGHTING Low-key images have very little light in chem, Contrast is usually high and the lighting is hard. Low-key lighting can create a very moody atmosphere and is often used for this effect. obvious serting for low-key lighting is night-time, but ic can also be found in other sicuations, suc and in dark inteciors as during storms oO ao lan 9 OQ e 2 O° o» we » o The stark simplicity ofthis photo created by its limited palette: white and some dark greys and blacks. The crama of this mage is emphasized by the low-key lighting Bf White balance Feces lighting with very strong colour Mave the ably coker she infor lbs a re ecraly cher I ern rscinble ches im Bebe he camer pains the confirm this fact is to look at windows from che outside: next time you are ‘outdoors in che evening look at the colour coming from the windows of hhouses and you will see chac the house interiors are bright orange. When we aren't directly under the light source we Something very similar happens when we stand in open shade, where the light is very blue. We perceive the Tight as being neutral, but if we step back and look at the shade from under sunlight the blue cast is much easier fo see. There are many other situations where lights have a strong cast Auorescent light is often green, street lighting is very deep orange, evening sunlight progresses from a light yellow (HAPTERT.2asic PRINCIPLES =) From within open shad be a deep The blinds have been closed and standard bulbs are the light source Te krar tfc a ties amr eed image may well have surprised you, since sten lightingis not usually perceived boing such a bright yellow orange torevealits true colour. Here it ight from outside helpsEThree-point lighting 3-D textbooks often describe the classic three-point lighting set-up and encour age beginners to use this as an effective ‘way of lighting their scenes. It was originally developed as a way of lighe- ing photographs and its one benefit is thae itis easy to learn and understand, Ic consists of a bright main light com- {ng from one side, dim fill ight coming from the opposite side, and a back light behind the subject, which is used to pick ont edges and highlight form. The biggese problem with this set- up is thae ie is artificial and doesn’e reflect reality. The use of back lighting particularly should be considered only if you are looking for a specific effecr, since itis so dramatic and recognizable Back lighting can be very effective but ie should be used with flair rather chan applied blindly to every siuation. The kind of light chat theee-poine light- ing creates does aot exist in nature and therefore ie looks fake, The face that i is ‘aught in so many textbooks also lends ic an air of cliché and ic has therefore become tired and boring. Ie has long, since fallen oue of favour with phocogra- phers and filmmakers, so you will rarely see it in product shots or mainsteeam Films, IF you are looking to light an environment of an object iti far beteer to study what happens in nacure and devise your own solution. We've al seen those photographic seudio poreraits ehat rely on formulaic lighting: they all look exactly che same as each other because the photographer uses che same lighting every time. The result isa boring and lifeless phoro- raph. IFyou wane your own art to avoid cliché give a wide berth to cext= book formulas and think for yourself Initially favoured by film-makers and photographers, three-point lighting often. can give aclichéd appearance. This shot of Greta Garbo is instantly recognizable as having the traditional Hollywood three~ point lighting set up. PART1- LIGHTING FUNDAMENTALS EXERCISE 1 Observation ad seudy chem, Main yourel co apeciate the every Rarer ocorcnces ae even more worthy of your atcnion: learn what makes them special nd how chey dif from the norm, A great carpe of photogsaphing ee light. the etlece sunset on he timber and he iow s very eye caching, The subjects Buran bu the light isn. (SHAPTER 1 2sIC PRINCIPLES Most people go through life taking light for granted, never really noticing how it looks, where it's coming from or what qualities it might possess. Ittakes a leap of the mind to start really noticing the actual qualities of the light around you. To get the most from this book you are going to need to make this leap. Start looking and start noticing. Observe the light. What is its main source? Are there any other light sources? What colour is it? Is it direct light from a bulb or the sun, oris it diffuse light from the sky or a window? ‘Are there any shadows? Do they have a hard edge? Are there any atmospheric factors affecting the light, such as mist, dust, or haze? Is the light pleasing to the eye? Ifyes, why? The very best thing you can do to train your eye and your appreciation of light is to get a camera and photograph the light. Make light itself your subject, both outdoors and indoors: photograph dusk, midday, early morning and late evening; photograph indoors by a window, by the television, under a light bulb try to make each situation interesting and get the best out of each kind of lighting. By building up a collection of images and observations you will gain a greater appreciation of the variety of light around you and the qualities of different kinds of light. Many people think that overcast days are ugly and dull, but the diffuse light of. cloudy days can be beautiful if you leara to look for what It can reveal about texture, form and colour. Never make any assumptions ~ it's only by looking and noticing that you will learn what works for you and what doesn't, and that's what this exercise is all about.Front lighting | iad 2: LIGHT DIRECTION The direction from which we view a light source has a profound effect on our perception of it, and on how the objects in a scene will appear. Choosing the direction from which your main light is coming is sions when lighting a one of your most important dec scene, since it will have such a big impact on its, Front lighting is where the light source appearance and the emotions conveyed by your image lanai Fitna auch os the softened form of re quality and dr sht aves the leaf, right these otherwise dentea ima Fro ec to reveal ntinely different m form o! re since the shadows are aostly hidden from view, and, asa Pei can male things look Hat However, soft difsed frontal lighting this very can hep conceal offen used in poreraic and produce Ptealy ctractive and isthe kind of pnd end ofthe day. A drawback of using font lighting Rfid out In porenic photography, for instance, hard front lighting is generally Used on men rather than women because the contrast can be too harsh » PART 1 LIGHTING FUNDAMENTALS '-Side lighting a Side lighting is very good for showing form and texture and lends a thre- dimensional quality to objects. Shadows can be high You can use side lighting co throw fi = » walls co create atmosphere. Side lighting } is generally actractive and is often used ‘ | at effect: itis che type of lighting me intered at the beginning and the the day and, as such, is often seen Ims and photogeaphs. Some potential drawbacks of using side lighting can be lost in sh eas of the image and imperfections and wrinkles can be revealed. In portrait photography it is generally used on men rather chan women because, as with hard front lighting, it can look harsh, espe~ cially if the shadows aren't soft edged. eee sj eRe long shadows ca this image of [PART 1- LIGHTING FUNDAMENTALS: y Back lighting is wher ooking into the lighe objects will have theit ‘away from us, so that silhouetted or darkl Tes usually a high con and can often and dramatic. If aslight a view, obje 4 J the viewer is e, and they are eicher lit by the fill light. to your poinc of rim of lighe defining one or more of their edges. ‘The harder che lighe ¢ pronounced ehis rim Back-lie scenes us of shaclow unless the | Soft, Most of the cime wil be ally contain a lot ight source is very the image will be predominantly dark wich dramatic pools flight. The rim ligh thac i reveals trans and any fine derail or lit edges. Back lighe effective for lending a TOP Back i appear i Mippur feature of back-lit RIGHT Back CHAPTER 2 LH Dine ing thae occurs in shadows, y, translucency texture along rim- rama eo an image.Lighting from above rgvwwN “Top lighting isa slightly more unusual situation, alehough itis common in ylighe. It can also be encoun- tered in sunshine at mide interiors and in other situations, such as eit isan effec- stage lighting, In soft light ef tive way of showing form. Under hard light ie can lend an air of mystery by Jhadlows that conceal cascing drama most of the forms beneath them ~ people directly beneath hard lights will have black holes for eyes since their eye Lighting from below If lighting from direcely above is rare, then lighting from directly below is, ‘even more unusual. In a natural context this might happen if you were standing over a camp fire, or holding a torch. Reflected light can also come from below, from water, for instance. It lends ‘strange appearance to even the most familiar things, since what is usually seen in light and shade would b reversed (think of a person shining a sockets will be in toral shadow. ‘op lighting is rarely used by artists, although that doesn't mean ie shouldn'c be. For overcast daylis it is che most realistic set-up, with the whole sky acting as a large diffused light source It's also an unusual lighting solution for more atmospheric situations and the very fact that it's not often seen can be used to create an uncomfortable feeling, ofthe aye sock: torch onto his face from below: the shadows appear to be upside down). ‘Again, the very rarity of this kind of lighting, can be used to creative effect ize when things instinctively recog don't look right, and you can use this to create specific moods by changing the lighting co convey different ‘emotions and provoke responses. Lighting figure from below creates 8 spooky look ~ even the highlights int ‘es look strange because of their Note how the angle ofthe light ‘also emphasizes EXERCISE 2 Lighting set ups A eo \ BalFront 1s cst example, with no strong Bledow, can be considered as the base-line art, Bbeeven bow enc subjece might look i at foo is 2ABelow | tng from below alg looks Sinister, eo cause i's mote PART 1- LIGHTING FUNDAMENT RECTION Light & Shadow on Faces Light direction has a major impact on a subject, both physically and in terms of its emotional impact. Let's look at a common, subject ~ the human face ~ to see how the direction of the light can affect the resulting artwork. It's worth experimenting with different lighting angles and set ups to see how you can convey the mood you are looking for, as well as trying to find what might best suit your subject. Light and shade go a long way towards creating atmosphere: used alongside light quality (hard or soft) you can create any mood you desire, EAS 2.2 Side Add some light and shadow and the 2.8 Above Lit liom above, che face becomes face becomes more solid and dimensional, its sinister and the shape changes dramatically, struct is eaie tose. The dark shows sso tad some atmosphere and modelling. Note how the shape sem to be affected the face apn be nartower The lighting you use will have «big impact on the perception of form ~ moving the light to around afees the same form very iferen 2.6 Behind Finally, lighting from behind completely obieures the features ond isa great veay of rating mystery and suspense 263: NATURAL LIGHT Natural lighe comes in a wide range of flavours, and the difference between them can be enormous. The source of all our natural light is the sun, which takes on different characteristics at different times of day and in different weather conditions, turning this single source of light into many different ones, ranging from hard and cold to soft and warm. This chapter looks at the various types of natural light and examines their properties and effects in detail This simple, back-lit landscape captures the luminosity of the sunset and the way the light plays on the cloud formations. The landscape is reduced to a silhouette and the real subject ofthe painting is light itself PART: LIGHTING FUNDAMENTALS. ouNceD ‘The above diagram represents sunlight far mid-morning or mid-afternoon, and is probably the most straightforward kind of sunlighe in terms of colour and character. However, there are two major factors chat affect che character of sunlight: these are scattering and cloud caver. SCATTERING The carth’s atmosphere scacters the shorter wavelengths of light, which has the effecr of creating the blue sky and of reddening the light from che sun itself Note how heavy cloud cover blocks the blue ofthe sky and softly filter the sun's rays The mote air ehrough which sunlight has to cravel, che more scactering occurs. This means that as che sun gees lower in the sky it has to travel chrough a thicker layer of atmosphere, chus causing more scattering at the beginning and the end of the day. Obviously, chis means tha sunlight has a very different character at differene times of day. Special conditions ‘occur when the sun is below the horizon, when skylight scattered from the sun is the only source of light. Loup cover Clouds also have a major impact on both the colour and the character of sunlight. Clouds are translucent, which means that they let lighe pass through ‘hem, but in a diffuse manner. When lighe travels through a transparent surface, such as glass, the rays remain parallel; where a surface is translucent the light that travels through it is diffused by the substance and the rays bounce around inside it, emerging from ic in several directions. This is a similar phenomenon to the scattering of blue light by the atmosphere, except chat in clouds ic occurs across all wavelengths of light, not just the shorter ones. The effece that this diffusion has on sunlight is to soften it, rurning a small haard light source (che sun) into a large and soft one (the whole sky). Colour is also profoundly affected by cloud cover, since clouds conceal che blue sky and the light coming from it. HAPTER 3. NATURALLIGHTWhen the sun is a its highest poine ir the sky the light is at its whitest and strongest. Contrast is very high and shadows are very dark, so dark chat film ‘emulsions generally render them black = alehough it is still possible to see some detail in the shadows with the naked eye cing co be recreated, For this kind of li believably there needs and hi “The strong light has the effect of nd these appear bleaching out colours, This photograph makes use of the strong to be less saturated than at other times scane, Using of the day, The strong contrast can make Contrast of ts MUS ic difficult to create appealing images in although in situations an infrared filter ha he image would where contrast is naturally lower it can appealing in colour. work very well, Water, for example, can ¢, and many benefit from this strong li images of tropical seas are taken at mid- dy. In other cases the high conerast can be used to creative effect The small shadows and strong light aren't particularly revealing of form, and the low saturation is another drawback. Most photographers avoid using ‘midday lighe, but chat doesn't mean cha these conditions are impossible. Going against conventional wisdom can lead C0 Tyg image ist Wane aeatceh ala ea ‘unusual and creative solutions. ms eoadroai a the coniightis at an angialil the shadow is jet bl dovsr't reflect towards us. This kind OF igh for the fim to be able to reproduce the light brings out the colour ofthe cea {ull range of shades very affective 28 PART LIGHTING FUNDAMENT Late afternoon/ early evening sunlight o = ae As nas an obvious yellow cast. The colour of the sky also takes on a deeper shade of blue due to decreasing light levels Evening light is generally considered to be very attractive, the warm colours and softer contrast being very easy on the eye, From about an hour befor sunset this effect is ac its mose notice able = phorographers and filmmakers SHAPTER 3 -NatURAL: all s the "golden hour’ because the takes on very photogenic quali ties. Colour saturation is very high ai the colour of the light itself has « hu; fie of effect on our perception of the 8 it couches, lending them a warm and rich appearance. By an aesthetically pleasing coincidence the shadows are close to the complementary colour of the highlights ~ the main light is a ‘warm yellow while the shadows are a cool blue. These pleasing properties mean that evening light is often seen photographs, films and advertisements, lossy coat beautifully reflectsSunset By the time the sun is about to set it hhas become a deep orange or red colour and its light has also become much weaker, which means that contrast is very low. The weaker sunlight also means that skylight takes on a greater importance and shadow areas become ‘a deeper and richer shade of blue. Shad: lows ae sunset are very long and texture is very apparent The sky at sunset can be extremely coloueful if there are any clouds. The clouds are now lit from below, raking fon dramatic red or orange hues. These colours add some complexity to the co Jour of the skylight and, as a result, can affect the colour in shadow a times turning them purple or pink Sunsets are also very vacied in ceems of colour and atmosphere — if you “observe several sunsets in suecession, ‘no two will be the same TOP Here the light ofthe setting sun isa ddoop orange, with the shadows turning purple as a result ofthe mixture of colours MIDDLE Sunsets are quite short andthe light change: this one wil befor st for only a couple un disappears below the hor BOTTOM Here contrast is very low ~ the sunligh 1 skylight are very close in they shine on the rocks, PART1: LIGHTING FUNDAMENTALS \ | tebd fetute of the aky at dusk, Socie- times the eastern sky is blue. There is ane eet cetat ee ved e and changes very quickly, Ic is worth Dusk is special time of day, wich noting that the western sky can also be Gnpredicable buc often very beauci- Pink, as well as yellow, orange or red fallighting. Since the sun is no longer above the horizon, the sky ieelFs the nly source of nacurl light. As a csult the light i soft, with leee shadow and fonerast, and the colours can be ex- tremely delicat ALPENGLOW ‘After sunset on a clear day there is lften a pink area in che eastern sky, fa phenomenon called alpenglow. This is a frequent occurrence, bue can surprise those who aren’s used co noticing it. Alpenglow can cast a noticeable pink light onco surfaces that are reflective Such as white houses, sand or water, This pink lighe is coo faine to affect darker surfaces such as foliage, so the Jand will often look dark rs the dusk light is @ ‘The delicate dusk siylight reflects pink and oop saturated b blue from the w ter and boat, CHAPTER 3-NaruRAL GT From indoors the sky can look a deep and vivid blue at dusk, especially as it contrasts with the orange eungseen ighting found in household lamps, In overcast conditions the sky- ight is always a deep, saturated blue (cleat skies are needed to produce the pink light eflece) and ic is generally much darker, with night falling much more quickly VE The pink eastern shy is very obvious inthis image. Note how dark the non-reflective surfaces, such as follag faces, such as the cranes, still ook quite light.Open shade In open shade the sky becomes the mair source of illuminacion, and as a result the light has a strong blue cast. The light from the sky is diffuse with soft shadows, Without the atmosphere co scatter light there would be no illumi- nation here — if you were to stand in a shady area on the moon ir would be pitch black, n also be Light in open shade c reflected from the environment, from for example, Foliage and in also reflect light into rneaeby wall other sufuc shady areas, with resulting effects on he colour of the light. If you stand in 1 dense forest where the sky is hidden bur leaves are reflecting lighe, then the colour of the light will be green. The same effect can be seen between trees a a ats actually painted isthe light and PART? LIGHTING FUNDAME Overcast light jes, depending on the thickness of che loud and the time of day. Ie can be ful, wich several atcractive quite beautiful, wich he whole sky is acting as one light source the light is sofe and diffuse, with soft shadows. Contrast slow and colour saturation is usually quite high. Colour is dependent mostly on time ‘ofday. Colour temperature charts often claim that overcast daylight is blue, and the thicker the the blue. However, if the sun is high the light can appear to be white or grey, and the thicker the cloud the whiter the Hight. It's only when che sun gets lower in the sky that overcast bluer, and the lower the sun goes the ‘more obvious ch ‘Overcast light is often perceived as being dall, bur ie can be beautiful coo. Because iris soft ic is very flareer and it can be used to great effect to show colour and texture. Reflective Surfaces can also look very appealing inthis Kindo igh, since the white Sky creates broad and soft reflections of itself. This is mos ut also on other ‘metal on cars he deeper becom TOP Because of the low contrast and rela ievtrality of overcast light colours car MIDDLE The overcast sky creates beaut! ful sitvery reflections in water, One of the secrets of getting good imailes on over= cast days Is to keep the shy itslf out of the picture ABOVE The diffuse light shoves the form of these grapes but the contrast is sufficiently soft that very little lost in total shadow. Again, the colours are very saturated.EBright overcast pr & (On days with thinner cloud it is pos: sible to get a little directional sunlight coming through. This creates stronger shadows, which can still be soft as Jong as there is cloud in front of the sun, Bright overcast light is an almost ideal compromise beeween the strong, conerast of sunshine and che relative dullness of heavy cloud. ‘Thinner cloud cover means that the sky can have a lor of texcure, whereas ‘on days with heavy cloud cover i tends to look a solid white or grey. Varying cloud thickness or small gaps between clouds can also help co introduce colour into the sky, with blue skylight and yel- low sunlight reflecting onco the surface of the clouds. Colours in the sky can vary enormously when cloud is thinner, and the sky can often be very striking is thin ot broken, Another when clo, factor influencing cloud colour is dis- tance ~ distant clouds can appear yellow or even orange because of light scatter- ing, even in the middle of the day. Frais quite common to come across mixtures of ight eats. Alchough they have ‘environment ; diferent characteristics they are ped together he nd shade in nacural BROKEN CLOUD Wie broken cloud you get a type of fighe tha is ciferenc from pure sunshine Bright overcast light has a stronger sense of direction than the more diffuse light from heavy cloud cover, but shadows are stil led in by the surrounding clous. Here the stronger light from the sky is bright enough to outline the meerkat but the shadow beneath him s still soft because the sunlight is being diffused by cloud, Note also that there is no blue in the shadows since there is no blue sky. SHAPTERS:NaTURALLIGHT or overcast light, The blue fill lighe from the sky is absent yer ehe sun can shine brightly if there isa gap in che cloud Clouds will cast visible shadows on the landscape and there will be patches of sunlight in between these shadows. Con- trast can be high, and che grey skies are a dramatic backdrop to surfaces that are in sunshine, with the difference beeween the bright creating interesting juxtapositions. ‘Again, skies in this light can be very and the gloomy background colourful, with many factors influencing the colours: rime of day, chickness of the cloud, gaps between the clouds, distance, cere. Colours can range from many shades of blue through yellows, oranges and greys, Light can change very fast as the clouds move across the sky, wich sun~ lighe appearing and disappearing from DAPPLED LIGHT Dappled light, such as that found under ‘tees in sunshine, is another mixture of light and shade commonly found in id in full sunlight it can be very bright in contrast to the shade around it. Most cameras will not be able to capture the nature. Ie isa high contrast light, full range of cones that exist in dappled lighe, although they may be visible co the naked eye. u handle the range of by this lighting -T Here the camera can barely -ontvast provided BELOW LEFT The highlights in dappled light are very bright - in parts ofthis photo they are pure white. BELOW Sunlight against a dark cloudy backelrop creates a dramatic moodColour in the sky oman. LIGHT POLLUTION The sky is often very colourful. Ifyou Moonlight is reflected sunlight and i : obeys the same rules as sunlight. When Rae eee oe meee oar te ce the moon is near the horizon ie has a red Bee Chien igland can produce amazing and complex or yellow colour, bue as it gets higher in np ater where you are (ven i he F ages di eae Many factors Pe eae Pe ecru fountryside miles away from any town) will influence the colours you seein the eee sn umiee ata ashe sks somewhere oefecting ack _ and ow cove he hicks fh Eas ee eee ROOM erases ctercly ce insporin aeRO ee Ae nos ped hin teehee herrea sky ac night, the sky itself generally has ratio between the hard moonlight and Be ic underexpose and use.a aa agave from sunlight being scattered through in daylight. Another thing you should The moon has a slight red or brown cast a Sag ern al uunpredict- Golden sunbeams bresking through the the atmosphere, or from moonlight, Stats be aware of is that che moon is quite hhere because itis low in the sky. At its 4 aon clouds are caused by particles in the at- ate too faint to case any noticeable lighe. small when viewed with the naked eye pr tieibae nie anaes Sas eiyaeeee para ‘The key point to remember about and ic can often be tempting to make it ar, almost always has some colour, lighting a nighe scene is that the sky much larger than it appears in real life. a Fe i a Seen beara The sky is unless, ofcourse, there is artificial Light in the dark so our perception of nighe compared to fea Ga eS ‘on the landscape is colourless. You can expose a photo at roofs in th d are still reflecting Silent, 6 dark Look at the two landscape silhouettes below: the fiest one is che correct one; the botcom image is a physical impossi- bility because the light on the landscape would have no source nigh chat will look as if ie was taken in the daytime if you leave the shut ter open for long enough. Even short exposures at night have a lot of colour n them (far more chan che naked eye can perceive). Note the ke str naked ey ightness and colo the sky. Ina ph jor than iLappe: ABOVE The sky is always changing and Unpredictable, Here the distant rain looks nis is because the evening sun is [PART LIGHTING FUNDAMAtmospheric effects pwater that reflect or scatter light. Particles from them has been slightly diffuse is generally white or light blue, dew Jandscap nd the sea, has @ big role scape, so there is always light reflection 56) 6 Hisetsslisetsiveys presenta te and in thick fog ehé light beconies so whie® like ond) bar can (aa Bee cicecionl highligh. BOTTOMLEFT Small drops of water wil air, and ie is what causes the perception scattered that it has equal strengch from any colours that might be shining oni Se ia grass, for example, can cause use a multitude of specular highlights on Wed hay BOTTOM RIGHT The strong mirror-like further away from us are obscu 1g a.camera meter can give can look blue sven yellow of ofa iehes the mo! ge cat teflections on the pavement tells that it LEFT Thi leep blue bed ¢ ky abovell he trees are shading it from the sun's nervise wor orange, BEL neis shrouded iq paige. Chaprey PART? LIGHTING FUNDAMENTA IAPTER 3 nvaTURALLIGHT 29Final note Nacural light is a complex and con- stanely changing phenomenon, and while it docs follow some patterns and obey the rules of physics it is too com- plicated to explain completely here The guidelines here will help you to understand it in differenc conditions, By making your own observations and applying them to your work you can steer cleat of obvious mistakes and clichés. Reality is only a starting point and there is always room for interpreta tion and exaggeration, ‘Sometimes common wisdom or rules are passed dawn unthinkingly, for ‘example warm light should have a cool fill. This can be true in nacural light, with yellow sualight and blue shadows, for instance, but there is a physical rea son for this and the rule should not be followed blindly. In other circumstances it mighe not be erue, for example where there is broken cloud. ‘The same applies to the theory that shadows should be in a colour comple- mencary co the main light. This can be ‘common perception as che brain can fill in the shadow wich the complemen- tary colour, even if it's noe really there (something a photograph should be able to establish easily). Only apply this theory if you have observed it yourself, or if you want that particular effect ~ not because it's a rule EXERCISE 3 Light in the Landscape The best way to learn how natural light works in landscapes is to do series of quick studies, either from life or from reference. The goal of these should not be to capture every detail, but to concentrate simply on the mood and lighting - if you work quickly you will be able to concentrate on getting the light right, leaving out the details, The more of these studies you can do the better, since there is no substitute for real experience in the attainme of artistic ability and knowledge. If you can produce a series of 20 or more of these studies you will see a major progression as you go along. The examples shown here were each executed in around an hour or less. These quick sketches will give you an idea of what to alm for. Examples 1 and 3 feature a heightened and more saturated colour palette to convey a slightly fantastical and idyllic feeling. In the second example the colours are muted and closer to reality. These decisions are subjecth cones, based on the kind of mood you are trying to achieve but either approach is acceptable - it's up to you. PART 1. LIGHTING FUNDAME! an see how che detail ce do oe abso a gti clos 2 ston Bag esis ve Lose Ba abl concen igh itself pa Here the sim ws © Bae and acosphere in a wood ped Note how imporcanr acmospheric Bieseigare in cheseskctches ~ they be: Be one of che mein means of deserib~ Hngithe conditions Bp This impressioniscc skecch is based Beipioto oF a volcano. The aim was Bpesprire the drama of the lighting Beiimeepbere. There is no derail at lees all abou lighc and colour and Ree The lack of derail helps con- Rey the misty atmosphere and bright back lighting. Pitrren a -Weruna. uci4: INDOOR & ARTIFICIAL LIGHTING Light indoors has a very different character from that found outside, the biggest difference being that falloff nificant factor indoors, Falloff affects all man- made lights and light coming from windows, but in sunlight (either direct or diffused by cloud) it is not noticeable because the sun is so far away. When human beings are in control of the light source there is an added twist in that the light is often designed for a ic purpose. For instance household lights are designed to give off appealing, generally diffused light, whereas office lighting is mote functional and cost- effective, and tends to be harsher. spec Tim Burton's animation, PART? LIGHTING FUNDAMENT Note the soft yellow CHAPTER 4 0 Sali inns lone aay i fused, bouncing berween walls, floo Bealings Dice sunlghe can get in Mg nnn Br Dc fhe epeatvey sal sie of window in Kon als, nich of the home will Fefleeted by one surface or nother ‘Window light is how we generally OR & ARTIFICIAL LIGHTING see natural light indoors. Since the window itself isthe effective light source this means thac the light is quite soft Window light is attractive and very photogenic. If chere is only one window then contrast is relatively high, despive the soft light source. With muleiple windows contrast is lower as there will be more fill light The colour of the light is dependent fon several things. The weather will affect the light coming through the window. If it is overcast the initial light will be white, grey or blue. In sunny conditions ie will be either blue skylight or white, yellow or red sunlight (depending on the time of day). Once the light has come through the window ic will be affected by the surfaces in the room from which is reflected. Wall, floor and furniture colours will all influence the light as it bounces around. This means thar to portray window light convincingly you need to chink very carefully about all the possible permutat as and plan the strength colour and contrast choughefully, The simplest set-up would be an overcase day with white light coming into a white room ftom one large window; you can then plan any permuts jons using this simple model as yout starcing poinc and vary it from there NORTH LIGHT One very famous type of window light is called the North Light, the light provided by a north-facing window. In he past artists dida’e have reliable artificial lighting, so by having a studio with a window that faced north ie was possible co have a fairly constant and consistene lighe throughout the day. The reason is that che sun is always in the south (in the northern hemisphere), so only diffuse light from the sky would chrough a with no strong direction o north-facing window =soft shadows, The main qualities of che North Light are the same as any window light withoue dizect sunlight. Although north-facing rooms are dark due to lack of sunlight the light is quite pleasing TOPLEFT The direct sunligh area. Most ofthe light on the walls and furniture is coming from a reflection ofthis sunlight or the diffuse light provided by the LEFT Note the orange colour on the walls, which [slight from tha sunset. Also note the high contrast that the light creates ~ the highlight areas are very brightHousehold lighting Most artificial lights indoors are dif fused ~ this is che purpose of the lampshade ~ in order to soften the light and the shadows ie produces, The major exception to this is spotlights, which produce hard lighting. However, light- ing designers will generally use mule ple spotlights so thae there isn't just one hard light bur several, which cogether will soften one another's shadows, yet still create a multitude of highlights. ‘Tangscen has historically been the ‘most common form of indoos lighting, although ic is gradually being replaced by ‘more efficient lighting technologies, some of which emulate che colour of rungsten and some of which are closer to white The colour of tungsten lighting is a strong yellow/orange (see Chapter I page 17). This is because itis easy co ‘manufacture light bulbs that emit this colour, and since our brains have the capacity to fileer out the orange colour erceive itas being white. Ifyou are raphing, drawing ot painting a ‘ungscen-lit interior i s usually more 1s being range. Your ‘own perception, rather than absolute realistic to depice the li whiter rather than m reality, should be youe benchmark to follow. Photos or drawings that look bright orange might look less convine ing, despice being more accurate However, the quality of tungsten lighting is vatied and less predictable since there are many different approach. sto lighting interiors, In ordinary households most lights will be diffused by the use of a lampshade, making the effect «size of the source bigger and softening the light. FUNCTIONALITY Lighting in ch from room to room, with the function of the space dictating the quality of the light. On the most basic level a room such as a utility room of a garage might have a single bare bulb, giving hard unattractive lighe, Licele cime is spene erage house will vary there, so functionality will take prece- dence over aesthetics. Ina room where you might gy loc of time, and where quality oy might be considered importaneig 0 create a pleasant and comfort atmosphere, you ae likely to find complex and atcractive lighting, Ina siting room (which mighe be centrepiece ofa home) you might large number of lights, used toga create a pleasing ambience, Function will alo play an iy pare in other area of typical homes Inabedtoom you would expect to bedside lights because they ae co for bedtime reading of for getting up dck, Ina kitchen you might find lights designee o light up che co or work surfaces, nl bathroom cai and mirrors migh¢ also have deca lighting foe funceional purposes ‘Apare from the most basi sit most houschole lights will combi function with lighe quality. The m common accessory to « household is the lampshade, which comes in forms, all designed to sofeen the some extent. A lampshade will hi blinding glare ofthe bare bulb and) soften the hard shadows created By the naked light source. Itis easy to observe quite how yellO¥ household tungsten lighting is when looking ata it-up house from the ol Inside the house, our eves percelve tie Tight as boing much whiter PART 1 LIGHTING FUNDAM Licht sources he next important element co consider Bthae moscincerioes will wse a number flight sources, wich will furchersofcen Ahelight and shadows. The light from diferent rooms will spillover in Adjacent spaces and most rooms will Hive more than one lighe in them Dpieal examples might be siting rooms With four or five different lights used co Fate small pools ofacractve lighe, ora Medlem kitchen, which might have rows PEFstesed sporlighes in the ceiling. Miltiple lights used in chis manner Pellteate uneven and inceresting light ng across the oom anc tn PlEShadows,ofcen wich different levels of IES Oc softness. The ocher very obvi- ttl oF having a number of light Bs that reflective surfaces will — BEERS INDOOR 6 armricia. icine have multiple highlights, one for every light. Ieis also possible that che lighes will be subtly differene in colour and intensity, because bulbs get dimmer and redder a they ger older. Finally, certain other household devices can emit light, including computers, televisions, microwave ovens, cookers and eieucle of other appliances dy a number of interiors for youre self this subject is limived only by human imagination and there are infinite This fairly typical interior uses several lights to create atmosphere. Note the various methods used to soften the light, lampshades and bouncing the wall, Using a number of ns that includ the light diffused ights in this manner m there are no hard shadows,& Commercially ned interiors As with ordinary household lights this kind of lig! 3s very varied and used marily co create mood and direct the Ie is often designed with great care to create the desired effect, soit will require careful study to recreate what the designers have aimed for. Make your ‘own observations of various settings taking some photographs for reference Restaurants generally have a number of low, soft lights to create atmosphere ‘There might also be quite a mixcure of different kinds of lights from spotlights to pick out the flowers on the rable to oon che tables themselves. No rants will be the same, so expect a great deal of vatiety from one co the next, Observing restaurant light ing catefully is a good way to learn how can be created mood and atmosphe swith interior lighting. ‘One important decal to note when recreating the armospheric lighting, you might find in a restaurant or bar is thae the relatively large numbers of lights used will also create many reflect: ed highlights ~ chese will be visible in II reflective surfaces, from cutlery and plates to people's eyes. As wi hold lighting the differene, vary in colour and inrensiey pools of lighe across a room, Shops have different lighting and although atmosphere isi cant, cost and visibility are hg ritetia. Mose mainstream sx brighely lie with strip lights tp bright and clear envitonmengy swith extra lighting to pick out displays. If you ate trying to specific environment think of tion of the place before erying the lighting. ABOVE This photo was taken with dayligh balanced film under fluorescent strip lights - you can see the strong green cas of these lights, of a shopping centre with on colour corrected, buat the slight dreen tint from the lighting is stil visible, Note the multiple shadows snuttpl igh Mbstenelighes are primarily used in multiple rectangular highlights. The PEMA whcre costs a factor cheir density of lights will dictate the bright. Be Stperature is usually greenish, ness ofthe lighting: shops will use many ‘TOP The interior ofthis bar Ula Be IBH the brain can compensate lights to create a bright “ several lights to create atmospBe RR cevsenses Highs co creme righ environment, the various methods used to sofa el still perceive while more spartan spaces, sich as car tah, inciucing mpi Thee ane ualy. This kind packs, will use fewer and will be darker Mela ree BBBENG commonly found in offices, Be Public buildings and anywhere LEFT In this shop you ean see thal pesto be lec pomically. lighting has been designad tone ptlborescenc lignes are ofr bright and even illumination Po Higher Bevicy, id Pee liively large accss wich man with the displays having cone ie y Spotlights within to highlight Ks, so there will be showcased products, Fetlapping shadows and an Se PART: LIGHTING FU INDOOR Arita. cHTING "Ic is very common to see a mixture of natural light and artificial ight, both indoors and outdoors, especially ar dusk and at night. This can lead co interesting mixtures of colours and intensities, espe- cially since narural lighe and tungsten light often have complementary colours in blue and orange. Any object near an uncovered window in che evening or at nighe would have some mixcure of natural and arvificial light on ic. This kind of lighting is also commonly found outdoors ~ things illu- inated by street lighting usually have some naturaf light as fill. Lights on buildings c also have very interesting colours and create striking contrasts ‘with nacural light coming from the sky. ‘You can use real-life lighting schemes 0 give a realistic feel to your fancasy arework ~ the image (below right) was ‘created using the colours from the photograph above ABOVE Interesting colours are created by dosign in urban settings ~ the warm lights fon the Houses of Parliament were most likely designed to complement the natural ‘evening light RIGHT Mixed lighting oan be very atmospheric and inspirational. Here it has been used to create 2 magical atmosphere * PART! LIGHTING FUNDAME ABOVE This circus scone mixes warm ungsten light from the streetlamps and Irom inside the tents with cool moonlight. FIGHT Here the mixture of colours looks ostivey alien, with tho groon of the Hluorescent lights in the windows mixing ° SMARTER W000 & ARTIFICIAL LIGHTINGive & candlelight A ip. Light chae comes from a flame is even redder than incandescent light from light bulbs — its colour temperatuee is so low chat the brain can'c compensate for it and we actually perceive it as being orange or red These 1 of light source are often placed much lower than ink i and candles are placed on tables or other farniture, whereas bulbs most often lighe from above. This will have an obvi ous effect on everything from the way that lighe strikes vatious surfaces to shadow and highlight placement. Ie is worth remembering that the light source is often moving, since light from ire and candles flickers. ABOVE Candlelight is very red. The actual hhore to make it look more natural. The RIGHT The illuminating torches on the ight orange, contrasting w light rakin PART 1: LIGHTING FUNDAMEE a ceveet lighting | Bn Soret lights area deer fave a very Narrow sj ctttum, which is Peey cal show any other colour Ifhis makes everything under chem pe a very monochromatic orange colour. (Objects between two or more street fswill cast multiple shadows. The ool of lige beneach chem is usually Ite small, and fades inco darkness Ihinly quickly, making sereets at night sexy igh in contrast Brerthing excopt Under the tretihs Bettinvarcuscirections uocoss Multiplelights, ang i any ig = ee Photographic light \. a ‘A full explanation of photographic lighting is far beyond the scope of thi book, bur is mentioned briefly here so used that photographic reference can wisely. Although many types of lighting, ate used in photography, that most commonly found in portrait and product photographs is very soft lighe from a diffused flash This kind of light is easily recognized by the absence of shadows, so if your photographic reference features this sore of lighting take it into account and adapt it to your own requirements. This applies to any lighting found in refer ence macerial f “sam This soft shadowless light with broad ighlights is typical of contemporary product and portrait photography. tis eated using very ange softbexes, which Special cases Ie is easy ro take lighting for granted and not notice how it behaves, even though round us all the time Looking and really seeing seems to be the main hurdle — itis actually quite easy 0 reach an understanding once this crucial first step has been taken, With the knowledge gained in this chapter, it should be possible to work ‘out how light behaves in other situations that aren't specifically explained here For inscance, you may need to work out now to light an underwater scene on a ropical reef. Where would the light come from? How would the light reace in this environment? What colour would it be? How much reflection ‘would chere be? Whar about diffusion, clarity and shadows? Use the information here as the launching pad for your own observa- és without ions, It is easy to parrot c shoughe (chree-point lighting being a prime example), and when so liele qual- ty information about light is available this leads to the same tired formulas being repeated over and over. However, f you open yout eyes you should be able to formulate your own thoughts and make your own original observations.When it comes to creating atmosphere, mixed lighting is very e for several reasons. You can create good colour contrasts, includ contrasting complementary colours, which will lend a great deal of aesthetic appeal to the lighting. You can also use the different light sources to create emotional impact, by contrasting warm and ea colours, for instance, thereby suggesting conflicting emotions, Lighting is a useful way of conveying a vast and almost subliminal amount of story-telling information in your images. As you will see Section 8 of this book, it plays a key role in conveying moods. You e see with how much subtlety it can be applied: although this image scary subject matter itis essentially humorous and all of these nuances can be conveyed through the lighting and the colour schet A more serious piece, one that was intended to be really frighteningy would use a darker and more muted palette with far darker shado while an image intending to convey a less sinister brand of humoun would probably use a brighter and lighter palette altogether. Ifyou think carefully about the lighting in your images you will be able to convey a lot of meaning and emotion. Interiors offer a huge amount of scope for this kind of manipulation since you are able to mix different kinds of light sources, such as the! ‘moonlight and candlelight in this example - but there are many mo possibilities available to you. by the bed is warm and comforting ‘wbeten the Blie window i cole and sinister ~the bedside cane represents warmth, comifor and safcey, whereas the monster by th scary, Despce these puychologiel connotations, the colts of these light sources are bused on eliy, if litte exaggerated fr emotions! impact The moonlight has been used co casea shadow of che window and the monster ditectly over the bed which isa symbolic threat, like a the haples victim's hea.5: SHADOWS There are two kinds of shadow: form and cast. Form shadows are the shaded areas on a surface where a light source cannot reach. Cast shadows are what we typically think of as shadows: the shadows projected by an object onto a surface (such as the ground) when the object comes between the light source and the surface Shadow plays an important role in your artwork, giving it solidity and form and well as creating drama and suspense Shadow can be used to create aa alism, giving obj s wolght and presence or, as here, used to Brad drama, pnewhere where ambien eit Ye chat si ee asa gianccilluser ere acts a5 4 B00 Feiss fll of reflective sur esi his ight even frter This ae Pie rth some secondary lize, an lymore ofthis second ‘pit ilaminace form sh ; (Beast shadows. The diagrams Memonstcace why chis ep) ‘When lighe bounces off Miss he ground, che reflected light Spetectively coming from 2 large and Setere righ source. This means chat ieform shadow on che sphere is get Hneuitea loco fil lizhe coming from ihe protind, as well a light comi from the atmosphere Because the sphere itself is much Galler than che ground, ic reflects less Hight. The case shadow therefore gees Waly small amoune of fil light from he sphere, and is mostly lic by che at mosphere. Nocice also char the termi toris dark and sacuraced he form shadow hadov. This is Bethere ism: Mthecast shacov, reflected light filing TERS. siscows 40 Cast shado ‘This means that in ordinary outdoor texture is also greacly emphasized by situations case shadows will usually be darker dl the stronger more directional light, so in form shadows, This is __the form shadow plays a very important just a rule of chumb, and there will be role in conveying both the form and the texture of the object ‘occasions where some source of light might be providing more fill to the cast shadows than the form shadows, therefore making them brighter. It is important to observe for yourself racher than blindly follow a ‘rule Form shadows give objects depth, ‘especially with side lighting, and really help to convey the form of an abject ‘The absence of form shadow is why frontal lighting can look so fla, Form shadow also reveals texture, The 3-D renders of a tree erunk, below, illustrate hese points clearly: The second image has more depth, and the crunk looks more solid and dimensional. The This trees itby a large diffuse area light, Here the tree slit by a harder light (simu such as occurs on an overcast day, making lating the evening sun), glving a harder the for {edge tothe form shadow, There is also much greater contrast’between the lit and shadowed sides.AMBIENT OCCLUSION In 3-D imaging another layer of realism can be added to rendered images by creating a ambient occlusion pass. This is created by darkening surfaces that are adjacent co others, and creating, 1 shadow around the area where they ‘meet, simulating the effect ofa large diffuse lighe source. Although there is ‘no actual lighting, in the scene below, the technique creates a sense of depth and solidity, illustrating perfectly how shadows contribute co the illusion of depth and form. Darkening areas where surfaces meet in this fashion will really help any image, whether itis a 3-D ender ot a painting, In diffuse lighting this is the main way we have of reading forms: as objeces get closer to each other, less light is available from the environmenc and so the surfaces darken, The form of the This CAD rendering has ne light sources, but the inclusion of shadow creates the Ilusion of depth. grapes (right) is perfectly defined by this shadowing. Iris also worth noting how the more obstacles there are in the path of the environmental light, che darker the shadows become. The grapes chat are behind or underneath others are darker chan those thar are on che outside of the bunch BASE SHADOW cis also very useful co give objects a base shadow, since most things do not sit pecfectly flush to the ground, bue will have rounded edges at their base chat will leave a gap where a shadow will form beeween them and the sueface ‘on which they are resting. This effect is most pronounced in diffuse lighting, where ic will often provide some of the strongest shadow in the image. a These rounded grapes give the Ba lustration of how surfaces dar hey det close together, IBeelusion can happen over large Iefscesas well as small ones: notice rowtheceling gots darker as the walls Hpsiverde This creates a gradient over the Ipattand calling which helps to convey the ‘apt of the space ABOVE Note the base shadow below this cup, which is the darkest area in the whole image. Ifyou look atthe image below left you wil find a similar base shadow below the plant pot LEFT The effect simulated by ambient occlusion can be seen here, Note how the areas on the sofa and the plant that are in ose proximity to others have shadows rear the points of contact. This helps to ive a sense of solidity and form despite the very diffuse lighting BMMPTERS. shasows =Light source The most importane factor in deter mining the appearance of shadows is the size and discance of the light source: a small of distant light will case hard-edged shadows, whereas a la for adjacent light will cast soft-ed shadows. The reason for this is that the rays of light cast by che small or distane lighe will be mote or less parallel, but in the case of the large and adjacent light there will be considerable overlap of the light nays. This will affece form shadows, cast shadows and the texture contrast, as illuserated in che tree crunk render on page 35. 1 soft, diffuse light, whi rget light sources provide reates soft, diffused shadows, The qualicy of the light, whether hard or diffuse, has a big impact on the overall appearance of any scene, its effect on shadows being the mose pronounced result, The overall aesthetic quality of any image will be areatly influenced by the quality of the light, and by che resulting shadows. Many studio photographers make use of large softboxes to create soft light- ing, since it is very flartering and avoids strong contrast and dark shadows. When recrea ing nacural Light, the This image makes use of relatively hard light from a setting sun. Note the hard edges to the shadows, the sharp highlights and the clear demarcation where form turns from the litte the shadowed sie. pea Small or distant light source sun is a very distant light source, which casts hard shadows, and the higher up the sun is in the sky the harder the shadows will be. There is some soften- ing of the edges on the sun's shadows, as it does caver about half a degree in the sky: the further the shadow is from the base of the object the softer its edge nent becomes, and as the shadows get longer when the sun is lower in the sky this softening becomes more pronounced. Wich a small or distane light sousce, the rays of light have little o no over- lap, giving the shadow a crisply defined hard edge. The darkest part of the shadow, known as the penumbra, covers most of che area and the lighter, softer part of the shadow (known as the um- bra) is found only at the far fringe. The This image taken in overcast daylight has a haracter ~ there is no very differen highlight, shi sBradually from lit to shadowed. RAYS tumbra increases in area as it gee away from the shadow-casting However, with a large adjacent source there is far more overlap light rays, which results in shad ent, The deepest recesses and the form turns very with a much softer edge. In this che umbra becomes much mote p as the edge is being filled Bf lapping rays from th larger ligh ic is the penumbra that is less eget the li he and thet it is to che objecr, the softer thet becomes as more rays are able 109 into the shadow area, As the distance of projection if the shadows can become very Soft indeed, even in harsh midday light This soften ing is noc a uniform Bit bur is much closer in appearance PART 1: LIGHTING FUNDAME (pliable produced by a lens, so the Gefeforms become rounded, resulcing in spots of light and shadow DDuring a partial eclipse of the sun He Founded spors accually become cres ents as the pinhole projection of the sun changes shape ABOVE Here the spots More. despite tne midciay Haves are high abs Wey Softspots. Nou ch sharper adja fe softened even he ground, creating he contrast withthe METERS. seco: ABOVE Note how the shado ning softer sm the plan ih pinhole cameras and pro at the base of the po, boo betw he shadow rece the gr ‘ot taken from directly above with the lens throvin out of focus (above) note the very similar optical effect. This looks nothing like a uniform blur, bu partial eclipse ofthe sun, you can see how cents instead of spots, They are projections ofthe sun's image.OVERCAST DAYLIGHT Overcast s ight is completely differ ene in character from direcr sunlight Al shadows will be very soft since the entire sky will be acting as one enor- mous light source. Shadows can be so soft as be almost non-existent, except for dark areas beneath cats or eres, The soft quality of overcast daylight is very underrated, although most stu dio photography goes to great lengehs to reproduce this effect, because the low contrast and soft shadowing is flarter- ing. It is quite simple to simulace an expensive photographic studio by tak- ing photographs on white backgrounds outdoors on overcast days. Iris worth bearing in mind tha any light source, whether reflected, diffuse or direct, will cast a shadow. In the case of a fill light this shadow may well be overpowered by che main light, be so diffuse as co be invisible How- ever, whenever multiple light sources, including light coming from reflective surfaces, are being considered (single light sources are very rare in everyday life), there will be multiple shadows of some sort ~ even if they are very hard +o spor. In many artificially lit environ. ments these will be quite obvious, since multipl large area lit by artificial light lights are the norm in any There ate significane differences in the characteristics of shadows case by adjacent or distant light sources, and these are worth examining. Our only source of natural light is the sun, and ic is very far away, which means thac the shadows ie casts are parallel (or so close co it as to be identical), but other sources of light are much closer to us and the shadows they cast radiate out from the light ABOVE This image is typleal ofa diffuse shadows - there are some shadows behind the leaves and Und the contrast is low ighlights and dank sh can also increase the saturation /rcast light is further diffused by the mist land the reflective snow, resulting in the al~ ‘most complete absence of shadows, except the window b inthe densest glare, bright egetation. PSHM cst from a very distant lignt Beitee such as the sun il to Be tethet and romain at the same rela- stickiness from the shadow. seo jow-casting | ‘Atypical interior lighting schemes fan array of spotlights is used tl resulting in multiple shad in complete contrast tothe pre example rom a nearby light source, such as an artificial ight, will late out from that source. Note how'the ceived by each individual shadow, depend width ofthe shadows themselves alsoin- Ing on ts position in relation to all ofthe jeases as they radiate out from the light. different lights, With multiple nearby light sources the be o shadows radiate out in multiple directions shadows kitchen, Note the different amount of fil light re high ‘ound every object a hts on reflective tl PART: LIGHTING FUNDColour & shadows Shadows are themselves illuminated by whae is known as fll light, usually aa secondary or reflected lighe source, In che vast majority of cases fll light will be coming from a soft and diffuse source, such as light reflected from wall or the ground, or from skylight, This means that even in harsh sunlight, the shadow side of a form will be lit by diffuse light. Shadows are rarely black, but will generally contain some light and colaus, which tends co be soft and muced. In stronger light the concrast will tend to obscure the shadows, and in the cease of photographs these can then became almost entirely black: our € ave able to discern far greater levels of ‘onerast than current photographic Within the shadow, colour relationships tend to be muted and colour is homoge: neous because the shadow is overall a bright blue, overpowering the local colours ofthe surfaces. The contrast with t strong light nearby exaggerates this effect methods can reproduce. Even to the surface can chen emerge and naked eye, though, the relative colours colour of the shadow. This i within ashadow will tend co be mured nomenon known as subs and homogenized, even ifoverall the ing in CG te shadow is deeply coloured, for example in human skin, marble, liquid the blue shadows created by skylight. milk, foliage, or any other su through which light can travel: ‘TRANSPARENCY & TRANSLUCENCY materials should have enough Transparency and translucency can tion in their shadows to repeg also have a major impact on shadow extra light emerging from with colour, in two different ways, First, the surface itself. The effect of this shaclow-casting object may be trans. man skin is covered in more dt parent or translucent, and will cast a (See Chapter 11). coloured shadow as a result. The most ‘obvious example of this is glass, such as stained glass, casting what is essentially 1 projection of its image onto the walls ‘oF floor. Second, i e surfice in shadow is translucent, light from within che The sun is so weak that the blue fil from the sky isn't that much darker, In this case itis more helpful to think of two distinct light sources (the orange sun and the blue sky), rather than shadow and light. Both are very strongly coloured but there Is less tonal and colour variation overall in the blue shadowed side due tothe lower contrast from the skylight PART 1 LIGHTING FUND ilearindved, since rein direct light and others arein The coloured glass projects ts colours as shadow on the window sill and the Far wall LEFT You can clearly soe the blue tint of ‘the shadow of the transparent blue glass, broken up by the opaaue blinds. LEFT Again, itis possible to see the deep saturation in the shadowed parts of the beads, especially in the out-of-focus foreground. Even where the shadows ara very dark they also'éppedr rich, withBm Howwe - perceive colour exeRcISE 5 exrelating Cast Shadow in Perspective Cal eee tt, de cloccfcslac Gk iachadons, Beet ouctng tas buts actualy aes ee mentary hue of the predominant colour, strongly coloured light, they are also able Bipiapaided variable forthe light source When you have Eee ae nd only by observing the shadow in _to ignore them in other circumstances, nad the position of your light source you can plot the (1). Then drop a vertical line from isolation from the primaty light colour and nothing will make an image look Bee this method applies only to distant light sources, Ee eglicciowa Sate ec ERE by looking through a tube —did he more dead than grey shadows. Yot Bee gun, since nearby light sources radiate from a (2), Finally, draw lines coming from realize that the effect was an optical should carefully consider the coloration such mest © their shadows do not have a vanishing point that poine on the horizon past the single point 8 Ioruslay pols tthe eee illusion. Noe all shadows will th fore in shadow areas, whether you want to take on the complementary hue of the reproduce nature or make a mor ‘onthe horizon ind note where they intersect with ight source, but in very strongly psychological use of colour, because the first set of lines. The ewo sets of coloured light this does take place colourful shadows will lend a loc of lif Sp understand how to calculate the position of a shadow eae atc ee ‘There are also many physical factors and realism to an image. Colour can be ekat this exanole can aow draw accurately. This is how affecting the colour of shadows. For found in shadows for many reasons, be i¢ THis /amp has «purple shade WA F co deal with alight source infront of -xample the colour of the sky will have strongly coloured light from the sky, an ele ight: note thay icture a much greater effect on shadows than optical effect, or light scattered through OTe eee cre ete eer = esha te gl conten ee behind the methed is slightly differ- cent, In this situation you determine the vanishing point of che shadows (1), by basing its direction on where 2 the light is positioned behind the picture plane, Where the vanishing, point meets the horizon plot a vertical line downwards (2) and define a point that relates to che height of the lighe source in the sky (the lower this poin: 3 s below the horizon, the higher the gh is in the sky behind you). Then, from this poine, draw some lines that connect back ¢o the boundaries of the object (3), again not where they in- ro Bb tersect with the first set of lines. You have now plotted the shadows and can draw them accurately 2 ic PART: LIGHTING FUNDAM 6s6: HOW WE PERCEIV! SURFACES Vision is the means through which we process the electromagnetic waves that hit the retina, constructing ed. When light is reflected off a surface and then into the eye it gives us information about the surface of an object, and also about the volume contained by that object. The volume is not perceived directly, but is inferred from the surface that envelops it an image based on the information rec This image is very descriptive 2, but the impression is terplay of light and shadow an by simple line rendering PART! LIGHTING FU svotume c- te this with the next image, Beothings have happened: the rounded Fem bas given us a much clearer Aadication of where exaccly che light is Homing from, since we can sce che Fstsition into shadow on the surface of Bespbere, but, conversely, ic is also Bch hacder to incosprce che sense of limensional space because the WBMP longes has definice planes with BB ean anchor ic visually inch BSF sail looks solid, but ic isa liccle Per eiicale co gauge in terms of its Position in space ‘onarren IS HOW We Penceive suRraceS Diffuse reflection is what gives objects depth and dimension, and is the reflective component that lends colour to a surface. As light is refleceed fom a diffuse surface it is scattered along a very wide axis, and there is only the very vaguest sense of what is in fact being reflected — at best you can expect to see some lightening towards che light source, bur there will be no derail. ‘Another common kind of reflection is called direce reflection, or specular reflection, This is the kind of reflection you get from mirrors, polished metals land water. In this case there is much less diffusion and therefore a much cleazes image of what is being reflected. The local surface colour has far less influence on specular reflection (although the reflection itself can be coloured), and the form of the object is not defined by the lighting to the same extent Here you can compare the two kinds of reflection: diffuse and direct teflection give us information about the volume of the object, the mate sphere having a form shadow thar helps define is volume, Direct reflection gives us information about the environment the form of the shiny sphere is not conveyed by light and shade bur by the distortion in the reflection. Note that in very highly reflective surfaces there is no form shadow ‘The specific characteristics of these two types of reflection is discussed in more detail in Chapcers 7 and 8. Because detail is far more concentrated in direct reflection, should you move around these two spheres you ‘would find that the appearance of the matt sphere would change relatively lierle as your position changed, whereas the appearance of the shiny sphere would be in constant flux, since the angles and the reflection will change wich your every move,REACTION TO LIGHT There are really only four fundamental properties thar any surface will posses in cerms of how it reacts to light: diffuse reflection, direct reflection, transparen- cyltranslucency and incandescence (emitting light). The ewo types of reflec- tion are the most commonly encoun tered reactions, and in most natural materials diffuse reflection is far more ‘ommon than ditect reflection, It is only with the advent of man-made macerials that highly reflective surfaces have become common ~ polished metals a rarely found in narure ~ and liquids an¢ waxes (such as those found on foliage) are among the only examples of natural surfaces with high reflectivity. Surfces define che volume of the objects they envelop, and lighe is what enables us to perceive surfaces. We see areas of light and shade, and these give us the information we need to picture the volume they describe. ‘Another very importane element in this process is that of transitions, or edges. Ic is the edges between planes that help define the form of an object, whether those edges are shaep as on a cube, or gradual, as on a sphere. Edges also define the boundaries berween surfaces and berween object sified Traditionally artists hav edges in the following manner: hard, firm, soft and lost, and these can be seen in the example on the right. Interacting with light, anti-clockwise from top: diffuse reflection, direct r ndto owing: 1) har edges: 2) firm od cdges: 4) lost eddes PART! LIGHTING FUN of Pt pe harder th ‘The cone conte Gheeoorast FP" sf ol hich fe aking Ba aot ha sole of obser taro sso or igen oes Gately become the foc! He ares wih che ofeest 0 i are of much leser importance ro ese: With lose ezcs, even though Eee nfrmacion appears ro be missing, pe yewers eye can fill icin without Beaging the readability of che image. Hinterms of readabilicy and visval Hemonyjan image would ideally have Imisture of hard and soft edges, other Spitbere mighr be no sense of emphasis Madde image is confusing co look at Wllthar has been done in chese thre BBs isto replace a shiny material Bpithamate one, which in curn has Banged the character of the edges found Bite surfaces from hard to sof. Ic is by Iris these quaicies tha Interest ae reared. rast and MIDE This image is cist oft Bieandisquite unapcealing and Beatusingto look at DMDDLE By reac und with 2 ome soft shadow live meta, thei Piece. With the con Bissett shadows anc Pe spheres stand out b BETIOM introsucin PAINE tho majority o BS88ethe contra fecal point me ‘Hanne, How we renceve sunraces °‘The statue is defined only by thin slivers of light on one side, yet we can understand exactly what itis and can infer its form from the ite information available This isthe original image, with no additional contrast added to the edges, Here a very obvious halo of extra contrast hhas been added along the edges: the darks are darker and the lights are lighter. ‘The final extra contrast has been toned down to be more subtle, but there is tila wide halo of increased contrast visible and the image has more punch than the frst example. Lost EDGES Ic isalso possible to lose some, completely without doing any composition. Iecan even help suggesting areas without down in derail, therefore let composition breathe Ifthe statue in che photogs cleatly defined as theres of the right detract from the com would no longer be offering con variation, The lost edges aid the sivion by suggesting thac dhe ae inhabic is of less importance, ving greater emphasis to chef point ofthe image, che fount MANIPULATING CONTRAST ‘Ac the other end of the spect hard edges with high contrast these it is often worth e concrast even further. Anyone fi with Unsharp Mask in photo ed software will know chat this pa involves artificially increasing contrast between edges, altho thae context it is usually done on small enough scale for i¢ not £0 ‘ous. What you may not know is ‘your own eyes are also capable o ing a similar crick, and thas Your can create a halo of fake cont hard high conerase edges. With this in mind you can fi lace ehe contrast of hard edges 10 them further, thereby creating with more contrast and more im Look at the spheres on the left this method can be used. The dhe final example was achieved! Unsharp Mask in Photoshop wide radius, although you co easily do the same thing with a paintbrush: simply paint in achieve a similar effect. PART? LIGHTING FUND rface qual so edges aceally found Beiecomes an ac tie Bound pe imporcan characteristic 8 ey fe objects have peecty ees: This is» erucial decal when fing ms slightly roundes! aliehe ancl fan add a valuable level of realism inemade objects, since J edges will often ad including this Beirne complex and represen Heslwerld objec the eect is pore subele bar still imporcant. these images of the sare ki Ga which the fisc has sharp edges Sith second has bevelled edges Second image is more believable bthe bevelled key is better, it fsea completely believable image fbube has edges that are perfect'y fandlooks unconvincins, Epelges of the key giveitan istic appearance For absolute realism you generally need co add some imperfections and wear to a surface, as shown in the hire example, cothecwise they can look too pristine to be real Ie’s worth noting thae in real-world objects almost any edge is rounded co some extent. Imperfections however, are noc so universal, and also come in a wide varity of forms, so you can'e ely on a simple formula. However, imperfections add a layer of complexity that can Denefie many surfaces. Conveying form is the cornerstone of any kind of representational art, and form is defined as surfaces. Understanding the basic qualiies of surfaces isthe key co successfully suggesting ehree-dimen- sional forms, and the building blocks for achieving this ace wery simple: you start Here the rounded edges catch the light, ‘creating an instantly more realistic surface, With a rounded edge to catch some highlights the image is much more believable, He How we penceve sunraces by conveying diffuse reflection, the main masses and shapes, chen the direct reflec- tion (ifany), the highlights and subele- ties of the form, and finish off by considering details and texcure. This is the traditional work flow of the painter: block in che main masses, then gradually work down to the details, Although colour is significant, especially as a subjective tool for conveying mood, ic is ‘not an important component in convey- ing the form, which is achieved through cone alone ~ in other words, through light and shade. Note how the imperfections catch the light by ereating more planes for it to reflect offEXERCISE 6 Defining Form@ DIFFUSE esc cance eee coerce ele | —— eee Be ince shey have red will absorb all other wavelengths, deal of colour variation — uniform Ce cer esaa areata the lait being fetlected is Fae ener aroms they only those photons that are within che made maria heavily scattered (diffused) by the reflecting surface, and Be cn tt obit red parr ofthe specu although this is usually accributed to the roughness of the site siete in Oe ites when epxon shach os ieee Ffoetic enersy and be fed and so creave reflection athe visible portion of che surface, but in a more or less random wel will be surface in question it is actually a phenomenon that occurs Fee, deen aleeced: it will reflect away from the at the molecular level. In fact, matt or diffuse surfaces can actually be quite smooth. What happens is a result of the Fae: cee interaction between light and matter. Bre wil beach all ch know as diffuse reflection. The breaking Diffusion is a wide scattering, and diffuse surfaces have Bn nco contact wth it, up ofthe light’ direction of travel fein in Bena tic objec wil fecal Isillabsorb some photons and reflect Diffuse reflection is what conveys a soft appearance as a result of this scattering, in the same way that light going through a translucent diffuser is softened, This is why form shadows are soft on unbroken surfaces. This image shows the sunset soi reflecting off the choppy water aba being reflected off the dull stone matt surfaces have a smooth and even appearance because they mix all the he building, causing itto glow ora LEET Here the cube is bright, because bounced light reflecting off the walls adds BELOW LEFT With exactly the same In a dark environment light source ihe same cube appears to b brightly lit BELOW Ina coloured environment the ef fect of Bounce light is even more obvious: it affects the colour of the cube PART? LIGHTING FUNDAM@Falloff Another importane component in the appearance of diffuse surfaces is lighe lloff. Light sources have a finite reach and as the light spreads further away it becomes more thinly spread and herefore dimmer, In the case of the sun this effect is nor visible because of its immense size and its distance from ws. However, wich most light sources that are closer to us (including a window os aan overcast day, for inscance), the effect of falloff is significane. This last point is also worth noting because it describes a very significant difference berween natural light and artificial lighe: falloff does not occur in sunlight, or in overcast daylight outdoors. However, man-made light sources, as well as windows that lee in diffused nacural light, are consider ably smaller and nearer so falloff will be a visible and significant property of such light, and this will give the light and the surfaces affected a very differenc look from chat found in onedoor sieuations. Although diffuse surfaces are mac they do teace to the light sources to which they are exposed: a specular highlight or "hor spor’ often appes ‘on the part of the gradation inco a darker cone will recede ‘way from it, Falloff will accentuate this ‘greatly, as inthe first example above, but i can also occur in sunlighe. Even in very uniform light it is good to have some ‘gradation over a surface in order co bring some life and depth to the image. In the ‘example, botcom right, che cop plane appears to recede as ie gets darker, common device used to convey depth, iGurface Properties ey orite rors sining eae ine" ecm co ia reflection: eres = ed acd conene a feomponent from whic Mee foem, colour al the en which cs mad ipffuse surfaces have a number of fs = local colour, surface extend macerial ty their appearanc igo the lighc hitting th Heel also ave a big impact Meeppeirance ofa diffuse surface: hard ro the light source is nearby, simulating ‘onthe ground plane is sudden and clearly ion on the top of the box. Mighell ook different to soft light, Rad this will be most evidenc in the Bppeanince of form and case shadows, as {exibed in Chapre Difise surfaces are heavily influ- Feed by the lighting condicions around Hem this may scem self-evident, bue Biss bear some examination, For Bile look again ac cine boxes on DUBE 7S: the white box in a predomi- Bint ed eavieonment is vinted red Bibl the same box in the very light BOnment appears much lighter than Hatin the dark one source is far away: theres tle he top ofthe box PART? LIGHTING FUN In soft lighting the form shadows become modelling ofShape & detai It is mainly through diffuse reflection chat we are able to discern the volume of an object. Direct reflection doesn't really convey volume information (as shown in Chapter 6), and form shadow is the main scribed by planes of light, or by smoothly rounded forms, and any volum: reason for thae. Volumes are ¢ ‘no matter how complex ~ can be described by these two basic means, All forms can be reduced and simplified, even seemingly complex forms, such as trees, rocks oF waves, can be described without getting bogged down in unnece ary detail The basic approach to describing complex and chaotic forms is to firstly describe the big shapes: for instance a tree might be broken down into a basic cylinder and a sphere. Once these are established the quickest way co deal with the detail is to observe the nature of its overall shape and texture and then distil and interpret it into something simpler bue visually similar, To try to reproduce every derail on a mountain face accurately is pointless, and most BELO! The highest lovel of deta is ved forthe face; the background is painted loosely so the eye will focus on the subject. Note ho. the background darkens fas it recedes, a simple way to imply depth, tists will convey an impression of ie (vo greater or lesser extent, dependin ‘Another aspect of this process is the concept of detail frequency: the shape is broken down in stages from the big to the very small. Typically an artist will stare by describing the big shapes, cher medium frequency detail, and finish off wieh fine detail and required) that leaves alot of room for personal an interpretation leaving the other areas less detailed, RIGHT On the cheeks the transition is ‘gradual, describing a soft rounded form. The smile lines have sharper edges and the transition from nt to dark Is sudden, xture, although often be applied only to certain parts of an image, such as the foreground or the main subject Ei Transitions | Transitions in diffuse surfaggl cat deal of information aboueg forms. In soft edges, the emp us the volume of the objece eos softer the cransiion in ies form Ieis very important to haveag different edges to describe forme uniform generic soft edge will a fuzzy, indistinct image andi edge should be used to desea specific underlying volume shade describe the underlying fi While cone is what helps the. the corners of the form being sa ‘The portrait below was taken ighting: che roundness of thes face is described by the softness cransitions beeween light and The quality of transiions «give us imporcane visual clues a ‘materials chat objects ate made ed y bard materials, and abundance of soft edges impli ‘material. This is readily seem ia subjects where sot cssues Will edges, whereas bony ateas will harder eransitions PART 1 LIGHTING FUND! f Wet surfaces Re sepecc oly ch igh BE iia lig is being rec Been hance nha es is chat there will ial possible answc and ¢he diffuse seems to make wood looks darker as a result. Specular ABOVE Compare these two surfaces, such as metals or mirrors, do eke last pareg’ Iie sense, chink gs will td C0 2 (lett) and wet (right) st most nes. The water is, atker when not get significantly darker when they ou can see the strong darkening of the he water is are wer since the ratio of specular to diffuse reflection is hardly alter presence of water in these cases — itis specu fare wet. That's becav : Bab aae ofthe igh nx pula Batand soles lige reaches the Gifs surface, cheseby making ic pe darker. Exactly the same thir Peppers when a glosy but clear coat of Serrish sapped to wood! the varnish Felctssome lish dir by the ofthe sky in the middle. The increased ty is creating allot of contrast that sn't otherwise be present only diffuse surfaces, such as wood or scone, that do this. Texture acs ees. ce jae ston BHCE, Which serve to diffuse the light a =e BIEEHOF these macerials. The appearance " ae ec eee: et Sr smooth surface Light is bein lightening the edges of the fabric. ght from some fibres, gloss, but itis which is being. various directions in clump and point also up of this rose petal reveals a Fibrous structure, Some subtle reflection is ating to the sheen. slightly glossier than the suede jacket,EXERCISE7 Detail and Highlights This image might look daunting at first, since there is a lot of detail and reproducing it exactly is practically impossible. One way to deal with subjects like this is outlined here. This example was painted with the Brush tools in Photoshop, although it could also be achieved with any ‘opaque med ital or traditional 7A Firs block ia the mai shapes and colour, Te Using no more han thre #010 ickly and loosely, buc accurately. Don be a ad ots of small chaotic etal slave ro the reference, but do ey co observe scribbling merhod, but using sal our subjec accurately making sue cere i alo of wae and patecns TB You can do this nexe stage extsemely loosely, sribbling very fist olay down some 7.6 Use the reference ro keep the ee cexture, most of which will be painted over original image, and co ry to mime later. This will help co create some visual present in ee rock, bu na Ven I aa are 8 Ad more scribbles, ehis time smallerand 7.6 Finally, add che highlights toh ‘more controlled and ina darker colour #0 the rock. You could now ight Soggest some form to the sock. The painting shapes laid down by this chante ue seyle shoul sil be very loos proces oceete a highly rendered panr:- Lay TERT -OFFuse rericcTiON8: DIRECT REFLECTION Direct, or specular, reflection is the kind of reflection associated with mirrors: rays of light hitting the surface are reflected back at the same angle relative to the surface, thereby creating a recognizable image Direct reflection comes in many guises, mirrors being only the most obvious kind. Many surfaces exhibit some level of direct reflection and many are a mixture of both diffuse and direct reflection. You are farmore likely to find reflective surfaces on manemy objects than in nature. The chr shiny metal on this chevroleth specular highlights PART: LickrTiNG FUNDA: qualities Pflction ae als Baerand any sree ceil, = Bae ly ocr g reflection is 2 5s, such as rocks fe, although Many n skin). mee gc exe. ‘surfaces, such 2 skin and cre with wax or moisture, Beem anclerens of rf ‘Manemade material, from f aa Beep ches are cone wich was, rls tbc a sfecrv Bes eeimes a lesive material, ee ina cat body, will have a ff paint or wax, which adds a ayer of refleceiveness. Each Meer has differenc chacaceristis, Heb cating a double reflection: one fad blurred, one bright and (pace fom water, ic is rare cof elective objeces within natural lings — they ace exclusively pad, and include vehicles and Bings. From a distance, narural fsdo noc appear to have much reflection, bu close up you orice che glossiness of foliage, for polished Gane. In urban acess very large Surfaces may be visible from Bites dsrance, such as skyscrapers FKeisimportn co understand that all Bighlighes are reflections of actual light Heats, so highlights on a surface will on the shape, quality and Pimber oF lighe sources illuminating HB. Do not place highlights without Bsideting the Ligh sources they are fig this is one of ehe biggest BO of ba ilustracion, where glossy Bias have overly simple round Bhlighes hac bear no resemblance to Hight sources. Rather chan place For hight ights on an object, chink them in terms of actual reflection marten s DIRECT REFLECTION TOP Some typical variants of reflective ‘materials, ranging from very hard and bright to softer and more blurred, ABOVE If you look closely at the middle most reflective, ball you can clearly see the light sources illuminating the room. In the less reflective ball on the left it's clear that the highlights are being created by those same light sources. Now examine the more ‘complicated ball on the right: it too is reflecting the same lights but because its surface has many grooves the reflections ‘are multiplied by each individual edge on the surface. 6GLOSSY SURFACES In many cases 2 glossy surface will only be reflective enough to visibly reflect the very brightest objects, which is why only the lighesource is visible asa reflection, as nothing else is bright enough co be visible, Looking at hese ewo balls (right; it is clear that the reflections differ only in their strength and sharp- ness, so only the brightest objects, such as the lights, are visible, and that the relative roughness of che surface is caus- ing the reflection to blur. Do not confuse this roughness with diffuse reflection, however — the seaetering from diffuse reflection occurs at molecu- lar level and is not caused by the rough: ness of the surface, but rather by thé ‘way in which ehe atoms in the macerial reflect light Contrast also plays an important part in chis phenomenon, with glossy leaves fon an overcast day reflecting the whiee sky, esuleing in a wide whiee highlight on the leaves, However, on a sunny day, the sun will overpower the reflection of the sky, leaving a small brighe and round highlight on the leaves, and the wide highlight from the blue sky will noc be visible as it will be overwhelmed by the on from the sun, much brighter re The reflection from the sky is till physi- cally present, but the range of conerast between the two reflections will be so high thar only che brighter one will be visible, since overall light levels will be ‘much higher throughout the scene and the eye can handle only a finite amount of contrast Large light sources will have large specular reflections, whereas small light sources will have small reflections, This is clearly visible in the images of leaves in different,lighting conditions in che photos on the right Je SURFACES made surfic man-ma Mpapecolar reflection ject the lig corel sources, but it ess eh ee. Imay still have o v commons fon ay be al pede orice: calls Resection store Bee somes specular fle yualicy of the Baan be bled, broken up, dscor ior coloured [UNEVEN SURFACES pepe sirfaces will cause the specular Petsson coe blrced, his is very Merman wide vacicey of macerials, Bram lacquered wood co plastics and gals n cases where the surface is remely rough che reflection will be Breen up ino lors of individual reflec emi ehe surface of the sea, for instance). When this happens che # its important to understand that the duller bal on the lefts rel the same things as the polished one, but the reflection is considerably weaker cling exactly ion will Bporbeable to conrain any detail, bue Bllconsist of only the very brightest tems, s0 thar i looks as if lovs oflieele Bits or skies are being reflocced in th iBroken surface. Sometimes a mixcure tthe citace can also Stettea blurred reflection, as is the case Bey of mea esata Beal tieatsceaing is Bik ighligh. Diterne abe Bilisseiien specuar properties, Besachesieingvey rcv, a ach case the reflection will be the surface. i‘ : ic is also broken Hore, leaves from the same bush photographed in the shade. Now sunis notin the reflection you ean the blue sky forms a wide specull roflection over a large part of thest ofthe leaves, n this reflection, the sun, being very bright, simply overwhelms the more subtle sky “flection to the point where itis invisible this Is simply an issue of contrast PART! LIGHTING FUNDAI ‘TOP This cast-iron fire hood has a rough and uneven surface, which leads toa very spread out reflection as each little bump contributes a highlight to the MIDDLE The reflection ofthe rising sun is. ‘caught by the myriad peaks ofthe rip Inthe sea, each one creating a separat ref RIGHT The sheen on this fabrics sprea out by the individual fibres, each contributing their own reflection, ‘ range of broad highlightDISTORTIONS Some surfaces, such as metal, have imperfections thar are machined slong, certain axis, taking che form of very fine grooves in the surface, which stretch aand distore the reflections along eheir length like very small bevels, Reflections of this kind are called anisotropic reflec~ tions, and are associated with objects such as silk top hats, sancepans and machined mecals By conerast, smooth susfaces will have clear and sharp reflections, ehe kind found on mirror chrome, glass and ‘water, Sometimes the reflection can be coloured by che reflecting surface although this is relatively rare and ‘generally the reflections are nor filtered with another colour. Even smooth reflec- tions, however, can be discorted in other ways: depending on the shape of the objece the reflection may be distorted by as in fun house mireors or bathroom taps. WEAR & DAMAGE ‘Wear and damage can also affect che specular properties of a material, in some ceases making it more reflective, in others less, When some suefaces time they become smoother, for example stone steps that have been walked on ‘over many years become polished by che This is an anisotropic reflection: the reflections are streaks running perpendicular tothe machined grooves in the metal, Each groove is catching its own highlight, so instead of one continuous reflection there are many small one wear and are mote reflective asa result Other surfaces that can become more reflective as a result of wear are painted when the paint is worn or chipped off it exposes the more reflective metal beneath it. Of course, for many ‘materials the opposite is true, and wear ‘of damage will make them less reflec tive: smooth susfaces can be chipped, scratched or blemished and become duller as a resule, or glossy paint or varnish can wear off or become damaged, ‘exposing che duller macerial underneath. In this close-up you can see the and the way that the highllhts Fung them. Note also how the imperk wear affect the reflectivity f the su ABOVE Damage has increased the reflectivity by revealing the shiny under the chipped paint LEFT Inthis case the layer of dirtis creating areas of lower speculaiti the bevelled edges the reflection ial interrupted by the grime. [PART 1: LIGHTING FUNDAI k 2 youcar tularto the surface, Iperpendiculsr Bre efecto will enter and exit atthe I gre rtatve tothe surface normal Dogs aso play «very imporcant role fpdierrefieccion. In large number of Jefectve materials che greacer che angle Feri to the surface normal, the poner the reflection will be. You ean sere this when walking in or near allow water: when you are directly ore the surface of the wacer it will be Innely transparent because of the lack IMreflection; however, as you look itther ahead i will be harder to see Blow the surface because, as your angle Hiview becomes less perpendicular, che Byer will appear co be more reflective his is often roferred to as the 'fresne! Iie and is dependent on the exact Ippeof material in quescion: metals Head wo have alow fresnel effect, and Re therefore reflective when viewed Fomany angle, whereas glass has a Fighfresneleffece and is more reflective Helencing angles. Angles also determine exactly what is Bring reflected in a specular surface: the Meletion will be ac che same angle rela- eto the surface as the viewer. Another Me common example ofthis phenome- Plais the refleccion found at bevelled Bis, which, being rounded, are able to EStcighs from a very wide ran Bids and are cncrefore usually able to Some bright light source chat *8Sin their environment. Btorens oisccrrertecion [ABOVE Compare these two reflective ‘surfaces: sphere and a flat mirror. The sphere can reflect the entire room around it, whereas the flat mirror ean reflect only what is di ly in front oft LEFT The reflections on this glass bow are strongest on its sides, where the angle is jl, where itis more glancing. At the mic perpendicular to the surface, the reflection is weak and we are able to see through the lass more clearly LET This metallic surface is equally reflective all over, although the fat parts ‘will reflect highlights only within a narrow range of angles, whereas the bevelled edges have a much greater range of angles right highlight to reflect and will catch 2FLAT SURFACES A flac reflective surface will be able co reflect only a narrow part of its environ- fy ment, a property which is often used by photographers and filmmakers to ensure thae their cameras are not caught in the reflections of flar mirrors. When photo- graphing a reflective sphere it is impos sible to omie the camera's reflection, so the only solutions are to use a very long lens from far away to make the reflected small, of to retouch the image to remove it CURVED SURFACES Curved surfaces also produce another characteristic: distorted reflections hat follow che geomecty ofthe surface. Reflections on a sphere will carve around the sphere, on 2 cone chey will Note how the distortion of the reflect seems to follov be pinched at che point, on a cylinder shape ofthe object, ‘or tube they will be stretched along the lengch of the form Colour & tone Surfaces that also have a strong diffuse component will have reflections w to the human eye at least, are subtly affected by the colour and tone of the diffuse element in the surface, Dark surfaces will tend to emphasize high- lights, whereas light surfaces will een¢ to emphasize the dark components of theie reflections Black surfaces are often defined by their specular reflection ~ whereas a lighter object will have ies planes defined by theit diffuse reflections. This is far less obvious on a black object, since the diffuse reflection is necessarily very low. This means that any polished black object will actua planes described by he specular reflec a PART 1- LIGHTING FUNDAME reflection Bethy ‘are a property thar Fe cee ube, then it must : in its make- eee Baio: red plastic object the ee Upfse surfaces only be pave a shadow he local colour. me glossy leis of flection. Combined with the Hparciated darkening of the diffuse Seen sc tin teas ha eponenc (discussed in the Chapcer 7," effect on the specular hough y Pree vo) this is che main characeeristic y sethe shedov-canting bjs sf ec surfaces Direc reflection is a common feature man-made macerials. 1c comes in Hany incensicies and levels of detail but Heyareall essentially che same kind of Fection. Ditece reflection can cell us Eiany things, from whae materials che Bene contains co the environment and Helighe sources affecting it. Ie is Bispecilar reflection: are the reflections the local colour shadow running across the box. -ed and blue, accord Btifoem,ecc.? All chese factors depend Bithe individual objects chac are being BiPicted, and you should avoid che trap Bteating specular reflections in a Biform and boring way The blue sky being reflected inthis road The transition between wet and dry can be né pavement indicate that they are w seen on this stone, The wet area is very after a pass f lossy whereas the dr area's nol REFLECTION 99EXERCISE 8 Reflective Surfaces in the Real World a9: TRANSLUCENCY > & TRANSPARENCY Some substances, instead of reflecting ot absorbing light, let it pass through them, often bending the light on the way ina process called refraction. Where the light is not scattered the surface is transparent, but where diffusion occurs to the light as it passes through the material the surface is translucent. In both cases there is an interaction between the substance through which the light is passing and the light itself Pee (wr a9 PART 1: LIGHTING FUNDA The air bubbles trapped within transparent glass are refractigg nment around them, A pectin che Helo ae BI gis secret ipision ce Tigh is Beeoying any visi Mears these wo processe Mr eodiece and diffuse reflection fefrom gases, most cransparent itera Golds and liquids) are also Poly retecrve. This means chara Peeearage ofthe lighchiccing che Mireceis flected, and che rest passes Ben In the case of common glass, Be percent of che light striking the ee wil be reflected, and che rest Bille reacted. As dis Bepier8, page 87, fresnel effeces occur Ftrnsparear materials, causing, Peecon co increase as the angle of ikemoves farther from the surface arma, thus che Betransparent surface you are, the fare reflective th Hs entirely because of reflection and Psction thar transporene objects are Baiblearall, ozhcrwise chey would Belike tir, impossible co see. You Bld exploic these properties co make Bétspurent objects more visible, since Pinu careful management transparent “4 ariee ; 2 meENE ment fr the glass to refiect or refrac Bess may be difficule co discern in the globe does image. In their ugh the glass, but where ss reflecting the relative the transparency to the same extent. This effects often seen in bodies of water orin where the reflection darker the surface appears more transparent assed in surface becomes. ‘This very exaggerated example shows what ean happen with a badly managed scone containing a transparent objec. With too itt contrast within the environ: nd TRANSLUCENCY & TRANSPARENCY is brightest itis much With more contrast in the environment the glass itself becomes more interesting: the darker areas above can be refracted in the sides ofthe globe, and the bright light source is reflected in the front. The bright- fer ground is algo refracted In the bottom edge. Alf these details help to separate the glass from the background,There are varying levels of transparency, and different qualities can be exhibiced by different materials, In chis set of spheres, right, the ewo spheres on the left are translucent and the two on the right are transparent. The translucency of those on the left is of different types: the one at the top is made of a diffusing substance that scatters light throughout its volume (hence the more opaque ap- pearance), whereas the bottom one has a rough or frosted surface bur a transpar: ent core, and because of the texture the scattering occurs only on the surface = note how both reflections are equally blurred, since both the transparency and the reflections are being diffused by the rough surface of the globe. The red aslobe is transparent and coloured, so it absorbs most of the visible specerum, letting only red wavelengths through. Finally, note how the refracted environ- ment adds to the visibility of the two transparent spheres ‘Transparency in natural materials is relatively rare, wich water being the big exception. Otherwise, except for ice, ystals are the only relatively common naturally occurring transparent solids Glass is very rare in navure, Translu- cency, however, is extremely common in many natural maerials: foliage, wax, skin, stones such as marble, and liquids such as milk are a few of che many pos- sible examples Here you can observe water drops as they refract the incoming light. The view through the frosted window clearly shows white sky with a darker ground, but the drops all show an inversion ofthis, with a dark top and alight base Note the differing effects ofthe ight on those translucent (far left) and transpar- tent (right) spheres. fpasastrange red refraction Piste, the cause of which must be PART: LIGHTING FUND ersed:the glass is placed on a Backdrop but a very brig "ARENCY Pulling back reveals the red object that is refracting in the glass. Note thatthe dark edges on the glass are an identical phe nomenon: the dark environment beyond the virtual studio set-up is being refracted and providing a useful dark contrast along ledges of the glass, which helps tos itout from the light background, Without the bright environment to provide refractions and reflections, the image of the glassiis far less interesting, as well as bling much more dificult to read,The ewo key properties of transparent materials are refraction and, to a lesser jon, Refraction is caused by a slowing of the light as ie interacts with the refracting material, The visible result of this is a bending of the ligh rays. Materials with a positive refractive index (which is most chings) will bend light towards the surface normal, which ‘means that curved surfaces can be used to concentrate light or co spread it out ‘This has ceal-woeld applications, includ- ng lenses that allow us co magnify Note how ti ene things by spreading out the incoming show the greatest refraction effects. The edges of this lass desk, The light, with che larger spread resulting _cube and the cylinder have s subtle tint Inthe glass that ina larger image. In any more-or-less pecsat reracticns lon d Uke ots ewed through the muah distance that these edges gregh spherical transparent object the imag: 1 because of the bending will be inv of light as i travels through the mate- rial ~ this can be seen in water drops, for inscance. Refraction also allows some of an object’ environment to influence its appearance. Since any curved transpat cent object is acting as a lens of sorts ie refracts a much larger part of its environment chan what is just directly bending light). As be used to great nearby (because it shown earlier, this These raindrops are refractingt st sky, making them sta +t ngainst the nee on the surface of the water effect co separate a transparent objec high from a background, using contrast Refraction is most apparent on the edges of the transparent surface. If the susface is curved that is whete the 8 since the edges of the surface st bending of light will occur, have the greatest curvature, On straight objects the edges mark che cransicions and differene planes will show mark- edly different refraction effects This also affeces internal edges, so if there are bubbles within a liquid these will display refraction effects along, their edges. ne bubbles inside this frozen fracting the sky at thelr boundl the ice around them: ede ofthis Note how the r he left and the re the objec PART LIGHTING FUND ‘The drops inside the g Note that the bubbles are air, so itis tt ofthe ala ho thickness parecer the refracted image ABOVE Another comms that the glass eaeai retr tonto obscure ENCY & TRANSPARENCY™Caustics action is the phe nomenon of ca s:a curved or some now distorted surface will bend light and cither concentrate or dissipate the beam, causing areas of modulating intensiey wich hot spots. Lenses can spread out to magnify an image, and they can also concentrate light so that it creates a spot of intense brightness (think of mag- nidying glasses being used to sare fires). ‘These undulations in the intensity of the light can result in irregular shadows ‘or hot spors being projected onto other nearby surfaces, a typical example being the patterns you see in shallow wate the beach. In the iregular surface cre- ated by waves in a body of water, light is concentrated and dispersed according'to the concavity of the surface at each point of entry — this creates the distinctive pat- ‘terns that are cast by water in the sea or in pools. In surfaces that move, such as rip- pling water, che resulting caustic pac tems will also move as the concavity of che surface changes and che light bends in different directions. The caustic ef- fects caused by rippling water appear to tipple ehemselves. Caustics can also be cre specular reflection, through in much the same way as they are caused through trans- parency: if the reflecting surface is curved o itzegular the reflection can be concentrated to cause hot spors, which ccan be projected onto other surfaces. CCaustics are being cast as shadows by remnants of water atthe bottom ofa glass ABOVE LEFT A bright semicreulaes (of red light I boing projected bythe ‘and the glass onto the table. ABOVE The bright caustic reflections this tree are projected by the speculal reflections ofthe sun on the rippin below it LEFT Even ripples in the water in tub can project a caustic patter: PART. LickTiNG FUNDA sed in th aig fuse reflection. Pes fect only Bir srfces such a mirror wl Boe shadows cas n chem, and Bee applies to highly transpar «a shadow will form efices: 00 C a will any form shadow s them, 10° Resible Mpice how che transparene sphere piri does no havea strong Beto cas across, alehough th Bese sphere bas. Nor is here any sow 0 fies ae ich bas to be Fplctions and refi pom the shadows over Translucent obj Mifierene, They are lik Heong diffuse component and shad- st through the tion rather than ows may in face be lucency. Again, chere is a strong Similarity in che way feet and crans Hetetated, and dite ref thae specular ency appear to sion and Hanslucency also behave similacly Where diffusion occurs you will get Badows, where ic doesn'r chere will be none. IMfenough ligh« is passing through Bénanslucent object, chac light can act Sahil in any shadow thac the object ay be casting. B Bll sce page 76) che lighe will noe Bete moch range, so chis effece would Bevible only very close ro the translu- Ex object. This phenomenon is not to Betonfsed wich a semitransparent Bidow, which may be cast by a very Betslucenc objec, where the shadow Hel has less density chan one cast by an Hague obec use of the effects ‘See how the shadow cast the rights affected by its transp Is much fainter than other cast shadows he sphere on it Shadows are being cast not only on, but through the translucent lea.Translucent objects often cast coloured shadows; since they are lecting a portion of the spectrum go through chem, the light ehey lee chrough is filtered by ehe object's colour and then casts a coloured shadow, Similarly, their form shadows are also affected by che light that chey lee eheough, and those form shadows are not only highly coloured but also less dense and dark than those found on opaque surfaces. This gives translucent objects a certain glow, since they rarely _get extremely dark, even in shadow, and they also appear to be more colourful than opaque objects because their co- lours are intensified by the cranslucency In certain situations, where contrast is high, translucent objects can appeaé to glow very strong! Translucency is very different in characte ftom transparency. Transl cent materials are not necessarily partially reflective in ee way that transparent ones are (they can have some specular reflection, and often do, but many don’), ehey do noe exhibit refraction and they do not have caustics ~ this is because the light going through them is scaetered, and these effects are destroyed by the diffusion Note the softening ofthe form shadow on the cherries, and how light seems to show through many of the edges. The s0 translucent that there is no shadow on thelr underside, ABOVE In these thicker translucent ob- jects the form is flattened by the lack of form shadow. Even the berries in sha have a glow to them, ABOVE RIGHT Translucency lends a to these leaves. The area of shadow really emphasizes the glow ofthe veins within inthe foreground leaf IT To see the very obvious translucen- cy in this marble statue look at the collar of the coal: as the stone gets thinner the shadow becomes lighter and much more saturated. Even the thicker parts of the pages a nan of ‘dark when compared stone have some the shadows get ve te the more opaque stone elsewhere in the image. There is more saturation in the shaded areas of the marble PART 1- LIGHTING FUND RCISE9 earency Pfptins ov vondering transparent there eve soveral things you should jeteh shown here has a few of the Fajcharacter'stics you would expect to Ginany transparent surface, but they are pleated by tne fact that there is water fethe glass, so the light interacts with Biransparent materials, PATRANSLUcENCY & TRANSPARENCY Reflections ate the most obvious property of runsparent objects such as lass, The whole environment plays pare here but obviously the brightese pars ace chose mot likely cob feleced. Un this case che main light source i window ro the right, which i reflected all along the right-hand side of he vse 19.2 Refraction is spec to yo right co the edge of he ease sng the liquid co (9.8 The window tha is elec on the righ is being refracted on the I peal os the iq ads even more effin. 8.4 The stem of the rose appears to be lexache from isos ic gts refracted 9.6 The table behind the vse is being refnceed in miniaure inthe thicker pare of he vase, The same thing is alo happening in the water above, but nt in che thi hollow part ofthe glass a che he thickncs ofthe intervening rmatril has a profound eect on hows Ihe eration appears Tie edges of the las are hard flees occu at ee edges as they turn, and the reflections also increase a the edges ue to the fresnel fe, Tho las will sppea mae solid and opaque a he edges und more eranspare in the mile: 10: COLOUR In ordinary anlight the white light emitted by the sun is actually a mixture of various wavelengths of light, which, seen together, are perceived as being white. Ir is important to understand that there is no single colour or light that can be defined as white — white light is always a mixture of other wavelengths (or colours, since it is wavelength that defines colour in light), This computer render effcientiVU blue and red to evoke a sensation and pollution at this power stalony PART LIGHTING FUNDAM jour spectrum pool" Pp sve see objects chat Wet happens oo Beg llt she wrclete mrs isa sort of hereby the surface jon stzeeches from inthe visi let to red vi fblours. The emphasis here is on che Reatinuous nacure of the colour the other visible Hpectrum — colours are not discrete steps Pith red follow padual increase in wavelength that Hlowly morphs one colour into another. Took at the diagrams on the right: ese shows che Bind from violec by orange, buca our specteum first asa 0 red, and then joined colour wheel. However, therealicy of coloured light is that the Spettnum actually extends in both Micctions well beyond the visible range: Beyond ed lic infra-red, microw Bod radio waves (with decreasing Seg; whereas beyc Molt, X-rays and gamma rays (with Bocreasing encrey) The range of wavelengehs reflected Bick y any piven surface isnot fixed, ut depends on the surface's absorption Eéreflection characteristics. A paler Bking objecc will reflect a wider band Bffrequencies because its colour is closer Bite, whereas an intensely colour- Skiated objece will reflect a much Batiower band close to its component StaPtER 1 covour colour, Similarly, transparency is not a fixed property: g ss, which is transparent in the visible spectrum is opaque ia ulcraviolet and many things that are opaque in visible light are completely insparent co X-rays. TOP This continuous band can be wrapped ‘around itself to form a wheel where the two ‘opposite ends merge into each other seamlessly. ABOVE The arrow marks the spot where the two ends ofthe daylight spectrum, red and violet, meet and merge in a colour whee.@ Properties of coloured light ‘Three properties are used to describe colour: hue, sacuration and intensity, of lightness — these concepts will be fa- milliar ¢o anyone who has used a colour appear to have less saturation than mid tones (even if the local colour is present it is not visible, since colour perception is weaker in shadows and highlights) This theoretical model of colour creat ed by light applies to visible light as seen by our eyes. Any physical means of depicting colour, such as a computer screen for instance, will be limited by physical and technical constraints, and so will only ever be able co display a limired range of colours, known as its gamut. Even human vision is limiced in some ways, and many birds and picker in a computer graphics program. Hue describes what we usually chink fas the colour, which is ehe actual value on the colour wheel, saturation describes the intensity of the colour or how pure itis, and lightness describes the value, or how light or dark it is. In the diagram below, if Y isa given co- lout ie can be defined by cheee criteria Ais its hue, as defined by its position insects are able to see much further into the ultraviolet chan we can. When ie ‘comes to actual devices the limitations are much worse than our own vision, light-emiecing devices such as computer in che spectrum, B is its saturation as defined by the incensiey or purity of the hnue ~ the purer itis the less white it contains (white being a mixture of éther colours as explained earlier) — and C is the intensity or value of che colour in terms of light, black being the absence of light If we puc the full range of values for screens or monitors have limited gamuts, and media that rely on reflected light (anyching printed, for instance) are even more limited still, by quite any particular hue on one scale, one a considerable margin. thing immediately becomes clear: the colour has the greatest intensity in the middle of the scale, and as it gets darker or lighter the colour is gradually mixed wich black or white and loses its pusity. ‘The consequence of this is thac colour always appears more saturated when it is amid tone ~ shadows and highlighes lees This diagram shows all ofthe values for ‘one hue (red) ona sliding scale, LE iB se) Here, the properties of the colour ¥ are domonstrated: A signifies its hue, Bis its saturation, and C its intensity "Colour p idanother. However, ystems very adapC- es , Fo of jlour is Int reuse the the additive colour m green and blue. These combined by the ejeand all of the colours we per method is sensitive able to differentiate all oF the visible specesum, ‘Another very import understand is thae che result of the white lighe the sun, and all ehe colo ichave to be contained wi ‘we perceive as white, The spectrum, when blended white light. When this lig by reflective surices of another they can only is already there ~ you can surface as being blue only b wavelengths exis within light; ocherwise blue oj appear to be black since na| reflect off chem, Light from the sun isn'e wwe see; we also use many. sources and they ae all differenc spectra chat can be cnt from daylight, This me colours visible under differen consist he light source t0 jecred o which we s10NS ine ne cl Be tioos wearesillabe Ben they wold appt Sing seamen cin render “colour cast, whereas human preci che igh a Meets highlighesan Gshighly subjective. We are not and our perception of js relative ~ colours are din isolation bue in relation rs around chem. onstrate chis poine, look at the ns hee. In the first one, an ed by Edward H. Adelson, PAand B arc exactly the same grey (cover che rest of the fOsee this for yourself), bur chey ically diffee- second illusion, although fectangles are absolutely iden- fone on che lefe appears to be Dlueand rhe one on the right fobe slightly orange. This is the surrounding colour excites neo perceiving some of chat omplemencary colour around sa similar phenomenon as that iscussed in Chapter 7, page 64, fomplementary shades appear in ‘cast by very brightly Tights. Far from being a handi- filtering of colour perception to focus on the imporcant infor- ® for distinguishing forms rather ing caughe up in analyzing This Is the additive colour modeh a how the primary colours of fight tocreate the other colours and! Colour is never absolute, Perception is subjective and thar allows the artist @ teat deal of freedom co use colour for ‘emotional or psychological purposes. TOP Our eyes perceive square A to bein the light and B to be in the shade - our eyes ‘enhanee the sharp contrast between the various squares and ignore the soft contrast created by the actual shadow. ABOVE Note how the grey rectangles ‘appear to take on a complementary castto the colour of their surroundings. ‘PART: LIGHTING FUNManipulating hue In terms of perception, hue is probably 1 lease impo Value is the principal and most influen- ‘ial factor in defining forms, next comes saturation, which cells us about space and distance, then hue, which is very subjective. This means that it is possible to take enormous liberties with hue and still achieve a perfectly believable image, Two factors will affect our perception of hue: first, the object's own hue, known as the local colour, and, second. the hue of the light source or sources, A strongly coloured light will have a significant impact on the perceived colour of the objects it illuminates, Under white light we have chree balls coloured in the three primary colouts of light: red, green and blue. The colours we see on the objece are reflected back from the light source, so for each individual colour to be visible it must exist within the spec cemitced by the light. um being. Under a green light, red and blue wavelengths are no longer pare of the Spectrum, so there is nothing for che red and green balls to reflect and they appear to be black. In these conditions, both the white ground and green ball are reflecting solid green, but the beain isn't sure whether to interpret them as green of whice, Tf we then shine a yellow light on the scene, there is enough green and red Present for che balls of those colouss to appear in theit proper local colour, The ground is now differentiated from the objects since ie reflects the combined colours in the light, whereas the balls reflect only their own colour. The blue ball, however, is still black, because there is no blue present in this light ow the blue is arated ns are present ral make-up if red. Some |e lights can il some street sent in the sigh, «hey sociy 28 87220 al . {Ble leh i ages il coh in Basie manne ih White ight owards white hough blue light in blue ball co full from che key ere is also now ene to return thi juation. The sh fear now fill bal is visible : modelling the form, which is th blue, and the iyliefrom the blue light). Finally, s being case by fond set of shade f fe filled wich Biitge, except where the two sers of stows overlap and go black Greon ight Yellow light Warm tungsten light jungsten with blue fil ight@ Saturai ‘Most of the light ehae reaches our eyes is reflected light thae has bounced once or several times between susfaces. Light that is reflected will be less intense and less pure than light that has been direce- ly emiteed: the reflecting surface will ace as. filter, removing both colour and intensity from the light as ic reflects it. ‘This means that in real world situations intense colour saturation is relatively rare, since strong pure colour is not something often found in nature — in fact plants or animals that are highly colour saturated are usually like that for the specific purpose of artracting att. tion, since they will stand out vividly from their less saturated surroundings. This applies to flowers chat wane to arerace insects, or animals, such as poison-arrow frogs, who want to let predators know that they are dangerous. Emitted light can be saturated, so skies can be very deep blues or oranges, depending on che time of day, since they area light source; incandescent objects can also be very saturated since they are also directly emieting lighe Inthis typical outdoor scene, the sky has ‘most ofthe saturated colour. Allo the reflected light on the trees and the rocks is. fata much lower level of saturation. In the image below, the sky and the sea have most of the saturated colour: the ‘water, of course, is reflecting the sky once the angle of incidence is high enough, but the re the actual sky, and itis also less saturat~ ed. The colour ofthe rocks is also considerably less saturated than either ection is darker than sky or reflected sky. The foliage, howev- cr, is very interesting: because it is translucent, when daylight passes through ic the resulcing green is very saturated because the leaves act a8 a light emicter. Note the huge difference in saturation between the foliage in light and ee foliage in shadow Ta ehe same scene shot in the considerably more coloured lighe of dawn (top righ®, the sky loses saeuration because chete is little blue light for ehe atmosphere to scatter, whereas the red in the rocks is heavily amplified by che colout ofthe light. The ‘green is barely visible because there isso Tieee green to reflect in the heavily coloured sunlight. Bye theform shadow on this red ball Rsturated than the light areas ithe blue fill light acting agalnst ing high saturation blue fil also other colours arein fact bel these same factors, loca colour. 7 the shadow appear darker by athe reflected colour towards black, fbcios tha determine how sacurac- ows ace depend simply on che Gource, The iluscacions of the exon this page demonstrate ina range of conditions: In fhese examples che cast shadow Jzoand reveals the colour of the sunny ovrdoor conditions any Eethi a's predominately blue will Komparcively unsaturated shadows sethe blue fil ight will noe much red or green light for the pares ro reece near lighting, such as we gee in btogephy seudio, che shadows will Justas much situration asthe lie Beeuse the whic light will Buy reflec che local colour, albeit at Ee intensity (or value), Shadow toni clearly highly dependent on loro the il igh, There ar eof other factors to bear in mind, first, human visual perception Biker ac derecring colour when there HSligh available so shadows may Bbpea tobe less saturated than Beto the naked eye, and, second, things can affect shadow colour This chart provides a breakdown of the prominent colours inthe se the translucency of ple, can add a lor of red t0 PART! LIGHTING FUND Ina neutral enviconmentthe shadows have the same saturation as the lights, since the fll light isnot coloured! The shadow appears to be distinctly blue purple, but in fact itis perfectly grey Because there s 80 much yellow around the shadow, the eye mistakenly peresives the neutral area as a complementary colour. the shadows on people. The main thing to remember, though, is to avoid creat- ing shadows by just adding more black to the local colour. This can lead to dead and uninverescing shadows. Always consider using fill light, possible trans- lucency and bounce light to create shad~ ‘ows full of life and incerese Shadow colour is also affected by the illusion of colour contrast. This is the physical factor behind the often quoted artistic eule of warm light cool shadows or vice versa. Many artists in fact enhance this illusion by exagger- ating the colour component of the shadow areas, Ina red environment the shadows are slightly more saturated than the lights because the red il ight is purer than the ‘mixed white light shining on the right side. This image is similar tothe previous one, except that all the yellow has been removed digitally - the other primaries wore not present. Now you can see that the shadow is greyTonal values Value is the final component of co- lous, and in terms of reading forms it is che most important. We can easily understand images where all colour information is removed, as long as the tonal value black and white photography is a testament to er, we find it considerably more difficult t0 this. How ake sense of images that have colour but no tone These images of the same train, right, demonstrate how it is possible to read ‘The bright red train stands out from its ‘When the colours removed surroundings. Without the bright colour a the forms of the vehicle regardless ofits photograph, it becomes less sacuration of hue, so long as the tonal values are present, the photo would probably lack interest, but still reads perfectly wel Below is a more extreme example: in this case the stage lighting turns the flesh tones blue, but we have no problem with the readability of the image and it doesn'e seem co be particularly strange. In a different contexe it would pass without comment, despite the face that the colours are far from what is considered normal principle of physical Bburlemperature in action: the hottest Bptoftheflame is the blue part at the Base As trices it cools and turns yellow. If the tonal information is removed, leaving Pare you can s only the hue and saturation The local colour can be changed ul freoly without realy affecting hel ofthe image becomes meaningless - it's very difficult to read the shapes and almost al the spatial clues have been lost Ditoncepefvoured by artists is chat of Bartemperscice, which isan idea chat Pegaly came 6 Biz, colour cemperature describes Herdiation given out by a black object Bbvaasa black body radiator) when it Sheed up: in BN our infra-red radiation, but Bitnit becomes lhot en ough it will start Blowin the visible specerum and give BFellighe, which gradually becomes Bes the object gets hotter, eventual- Bching blue w 1m science. In scientif- ally che object will hen the object is Bo over 7,000 degrees cenrignide We ars abl to ras torent this irae dlspita the tri, alien colours because ‘ur yo able to read and interpret the tonal values, =o ‘2000 000 0. Heres @ typical example of warm and cool together: the contrasting temperatures ‘add visual interest tothe image as well as creating an emotional response. In scientific terms colour temperature ‘works in the opposite way co artistic or cultural ideas of colour and temperature in electromagnetic cerms red is lower ‘energy form of radiation than blue, so red is the cooler end of che scale and blue signifies incandescence at much hovter temperatures. A blue flame burns hocter than an orange or ted one, The practical everyday application of colour temperature is in describing the colour of light sources, Incandescent bulbs glow at around 3,200K, daylight is rated at 5,600K. In practical artistic terms this is also a very useful concept when depicting incandescence: a glow should reflece the laws of physics to be convincing, and should start out with lower energy colours on the outside (uch as red), with higher eneegy colours in the middle (such as white). Where light sources are concerned, this scale can only describe incandescent lights ~ fluorescent lights do not emic radiation from being, heated up and can therefore emit colours ‘outside the range of chs scale (greens or violets, for instance).In mote traditional artistic terms, colour ‘emperature is completely different and uses emotional or culeural references when discussing colour and temperature, so in this context red and orange are seen as warm, while blue and green ate cool. Although ie is nora sciencifically correct way of describing colour, it is of course very useful in directing the ‘emotional response char you might wish associate red with warmeh and ble with cold To convey an overall mood a warm or cool theme can be used aver a whole thereby creating a strong feeling perature, This is often seen in films where entire sequences may be shot ‘with an overall cast to convey the requi site emotion ot mood. This concept is known as working with a limited palette, where one family of colours is allowed to dominate an image in order to convey an emorional message. The easi fest way to create a colour harmony (ora limited palecte is to use a strongly coloured light source chat overpowers the local colou! s of objects. Alternatively, there are some situ: tions where local colout itself can be harmonious o¢ ina limited palette: for instance the greens naturally occurring in a landscape, or well-matched cloching or a carefully designed incerior. TOP Tho overall colour scheme ofthis image is coo! blues, telling the story of cold wet evening to perfection, Compare this with the image below. ‘of warm colours helps to convey the idea of fire and heat in the voleano of Stromboli Note that the centre ofthe lava Is physicall hotter (more yellow, therefore higher energy) than the comparatively cooler PART? LIGHTING FUNOAME soo our variation uubject to wo pin the real 0 ‘of mos! informs iy vatiation. Hue variation ural v2" , “ie Se from nat in number of s, Luminosity . used testi is Pe yesker 32) cross surfaces. xample, will always Jacion as che ligh com the sun. it foliage, skin o wand in man-made Ichough many of these have serials, leh essen colour b fpermay ineod BB's local colo fess for loa os abviows Biugh wear imperfections, cexeures Befections can also play a part Wat in local colours more promi Bin diffuse ighing and normal Eight. As soon as any kind of colour is Haauced into che lighe this will have Bef ofrncing all of che surfaces Bib the lighe’s own colour, ehereby Bing down che eitce of local colour. A Bioigly coloured light, such asthe light Bfsunser, will unify che whole scene Bithitsstcong colour case a Besour (even beesscen very differene Bibi), will be harder co see. Ifyou Binks fairy ypical sunset sce Bpthing in che lighe will be tinted Beband everyching in the shade will be Bled blue by ehe skylight the local oars over Belighe source Biminosiey variacion is often scen as a lsign, but There are many variation, the id variacions red by the colour of os id is caused by any kind of Btion in the serengeh of che light: Pel efom allot around a Bbdow or over the expanse of the sk Borns siowlycuen : Berns slot curing, om vai of reflected light BBN 2 surface or feom subtle shadow Siren o.co.cun TOP Here you can see the natural hue ation typically exhibited by foliage ABOVE This brick wall has ma as obvious variations inthe local colour ofthe bricks, Some are caused by age, others are simply natural difference between the individual bricks,LEFT Here the thickness of the cloud varies land as a result so does the amount of light showing through the translucent vapour. Clouds show a complex combination of reflection and translucency, and, inthe right lighting conditions, have gradations all over them, Tercera anys cea [ABOVE Theresa gradation atthetop _Thefallo from the reflected SU BM Grecetions on this swanwing.are Here there are gradations within the Vas the Spots er ot ea coal Rees radationis acrossaclearareacf sky. The of this structure, caused by the turning __ causes avery strong gradation Haltof subtle forms turning to reflections; the sky is being reflected in the and even lighting there are very few =e _— rmotal and glass, and the gradations in the gradations because the lights so uniform. skyis always brighterclosertothe sun, of the form, and somemodulation inthe paving. ‘and as It gats further away less light reflected sky. Within the car park there is being scattered by the atmosphere, ‘are multiple gradations caused by the falloff of the lights sky are also present inthe reflections, — Surrer ro. co.cun eh PART: LIGHTING FUND 15EXERCISE 10 Broken ColourF f 2: PEOPLE & \ RONMENTSPeople are usually che primary subject of representative art, so knowing how light interacts with flesh is extremely important to artists. Creating believable skin tones is a major preoccupation for many, and light is the key to understanding the appearance of skin. This chapter explores the relationship of light to skin and how to depict skin convincingly. Light interacts with people ina Rarely will you see. face thatis liter in shadow, with highlights raf off the hairand eyes. cop. a ENVIRON ariety of properties askin has 2 ¥ P spearance when in irectly * juve a big inluence on its character sive and these qual NSLUCENCY ueency is che most obvious that affects che appearance of Skin is made up of several layers, Bighe is able co penetrate to some so what you end up seeing is mre of light reflected from the fand from beneath the surface he scatrering beneath the surface, ly in Caucasian people, where reddish colour component comes fom the blood beneath the surface of skin; second, che shadows and tran are somewhat softened by this ered light re-emerging from below. dhrker-skinned people che skin is fre opaque, having more melanin, Wirrinslucency plays a smaller part i ihe overall appearance of their skin. The Hive pigment in che skin the less light Bpable to scarcer beneath the surface. RFACE VARIATION Be appearance of skin is also variable Bais depenciene upon its function Bad location on he body: the skin of Hlefice is comparatively smooth and Be, whereas che skin om che fet is High and has a completely differene HEture. Skin is also subject to wear and Bathering, as che existence of wrinkles viously demonstrates. Different skin Shes among differene races, as well as Hong people of differene ages also have Big ifluence on the overall look of an Pvidual's skin The han has a very interesting mix Be and makes very go P¥Pdoction co che subject. In hard MBitng, as occurs in sunlight and in Me horo above (eaken wih a flash gun), the fist ching to note is that a lot of direct reflection is visible, We don’ usually chink of skin as being a highly reflective surface, bur here is often a layer of oil present, which is responsible for this reflection. The close-up of the hand reveals that chose parts of the skin facing the hard light are very shiny indeed, although the reflection is broken up by che complex texcure on the sui ‘The close-up also shows chat the diffuse element of the skin is highly dependent on what Lies directly below ~ where veins are present che diffuse colour becomes much bluer, whereas the presence of capillary vessels such as on the knuckles creates a much redder Note the airect reflection due to the oil inthe skin, The close-up shows how the fare present, and redder where capillary are just below the skin colour. This shows that the lighe is reflecting from helow the surface of the translucent top layers. When no bload is present, such as when a tight fist is made and the knuckles flex, the skin becomes very yellow. We can assume that this is che actual colour of the skin and that the presence of blood below the surface is adding the red component that makes the overall colour pinkish. The sub- susface element plays a very big part in the overall appearaace of skin; without this cranslucene effec skin would look very differen.HARD LIGHTING ‘When the hand is shot in harsher light, we see another effect created by the translucency. If you look a the termi nator, the edge where the lighe meets the shadow, you can see a lot of red — in fact it is the most saturated area of the image. This is because che light is seeping through the skin, Ie isa less obvious manifestation of what you see ‘when you shine a torch through your fingers, when the light comes through as a vivid red having been scattered by blood vessels beneath the skin, The fect is particularly obvious on the raised rendon in the middle of che hand. The shadow areas where the ditece light is able to scatter through are all warmed by the red lighe coming from beneath the skin, visible all around the shadow areas that are close to the lighe Looking at a close-up of some of the shadow in the hand also reveals a more subtle phenomenon. Even where the light is softer and subcler, the skin can still be very reflective, as here, where the parts of the skin facing the sec- ‘ondary light source (an overcast sky through a window) are reflect There are many individual colours on the hand, from the red glow of scae~ tered Light on the edges of shadows and beneath the lieele finger, to che bluer light coming from the window, which becomes whiter where the window itself is being dieecely reflected. The ceil- ing is aso ceflecting light down onco the cop pare of the hand, providing a more neueral fil ight chac is visible ‘on the wrist and forearm. Finally, the direct light along the far edge is white and very lige pink and outlines che form and structure of the hand. Whese the lighe is byightest ic eveals the form very clearly. However, the skin in shadow also has a variation in colour where some patches take on differene hues from surrounding areas Caucasian skin is naturally warm in cone, and even when in shadow the ‘Shot in hard light, a dark shadow falls across the hand, and quitea lot of red can be seen at the terminator. overwhelming influence of the lighe scattered by blood beneath he skin will add a red component co otherwise cool shadows. Blues eurn to purple, and in direct lighe there is a real warmth to the colour of healthy skin. In che blurred version ofthe image you can also see the slow of the translucency around several areas of skin — i's what gives life co im- ages of people. Be very careful to avoid srry shadows and shadow edges when representing people ~ it's one of those subtle things that looks intrinsically ‘wrong without really being obvious. -_ | ofa kin, The eer e yhere. Even the shadows daciad Bia se oan Be e ‘deeper below the surface and are oe Jes influence on che colou Hvhich now becomes more frver eo its ceal hue. (A sui Bie cause similar difference in hand and wrist colour.) Even in fight, ac lease when ic is directional, Be iereection evry even this helps to reveal the cexture on back of the hand. the phorogriph is blurred ic is easier to observe the diffuse co- and pink to more yellow. The fin ils have almost no impact on the cof the hand — they are reflective than skin, noother lu they seem co share the characteristic Jo nor alter the under- Theskin on che palm of the hand is Ren differens. Nor only does it have completely different vexcure, finer ft more subtle, bue it is also far less Bellective, presumably because there is Tsoi on the surface. The reflection Bsmoothed because the texture is not ABOVE LEFT IF the photograph isa ‘exposed you can see clearly thatt of translucency is exaggerated. The} component takes over and the big! ‘much more difficult to discern ABOVE If the same pictures BIU Is easier to see how colour is dist across the hand without being by texture, Braking ic up coche same extent. Areas Hhiare sensicive such as the pads a the Fingertips are also much redder, be- Sise there is more blood for the higher Moun of ncrve endings present. The Hagemips also have much soier direct tions than anywhere else on the Hind, possibly because any oil is re- Moved by conrace with other surfaces SMPreR 1 LichT & PEOPLE ABOVE & TOPRIGHT In soft light, re: ness can be seen over the whole sui the hand, due tothe skin's translucency. RIGHT The palm generally has less sur- face ol, and is less reflective. Also note how much redder the finger pads are Finally, wich very soft froncal light you can see that the skin looks somewhat different again. There is no specular reflection, so the texture of che skin is much hagder co discern. In this softer lighe, there is less sub-surface scattering so the skin looks yellower, especially over the raised tendons where the blood is being pushed our. The shadows berween the fingers are red. Ie is not advisable to use grey or black shadows ‘on skin, since there is usually a strong, colotir component in the shadows of bbuman flesh. I's worth seudying these images close- ly to see where you can find variations in colour, shininess and texture. Trying to tunderstand whar causes chese variations will give a sound basis for recreating this surf e in a convincing way. ABOVE In this vary soft lighting, the skin looks slightly yellow 8Facial features Faces are the most commonly portrayed hhuman feature. People's faces, and their skin, come in many varieties of colour and texture depending on age, rice and sender, Skin can be pale, dark, blotchy wrinkled, stubbly, porous, patchy, freckled ete me parts of the face are more reflective than others because of the presence of oil, some parts are bony and others are fleshy, and some pares have thinner skin or are more exposed to light (such as the ears, which are quite translucent). Interesting textures and colour variations give life co the portrait on the right. Ie is imporrane co treat different areas according co their qualities, so che bony ridge of the nose is defined by shatp edges whereas the cheeks have ‘more rounded and gradual ones. The shadow area is lit by cool light, and this has allowed for some interesting colours within the shaded side of the face. By using a cange of colours in the skin tones, even exagy and cheeks are often redder than che rest of the face, ton a more detailed level there is also vasition within the ind vidual features ~ che eye socket is often dacker and more re or purple chan che bony idge of the brow just above it. Ic is important to note these kinds of variation in colour, otherwise flesh tones can look dead and uninteresting, m4 & gender J skin colours react differently easianskin hast Pe chan datker skin, so the blood a xerts a much greater fice pe our of the skin. Cau- ranshucent, whereas skin is mo Be skin is more opaque, 80 its colour Konsistenc because the underly ve less effect on it arker shades of flesb, mote pronounced, darker skin creates greater fase forthe reflections to show up {and darker surfaces always look fet than lighter ones for this very toned skin also has less colour fon chan pale skin, with more iene highlights. On dacker A people specular highlights ar more prominent, since they have ich the colout of kin — che darker che skin the Brer this efecr will be. Colour ion s less evident — Caucasian PF ABov In this sketch of an eye there is a tuniform in 2, with pinks below the eve land dark reds in the socket ~ even the white ofthe eye isn't white but a meaty ‘TOP Hore the skin hues range from a deep red to paler yo purples added ted fil ih his ear sketch also shows @ 10H variation over the ear itself from pinks, Note co how han the leshy parts mee 8, but it is of a different pant 2-PropLe & ENVIRON >eople often have mote red around the nose, for instance, bue darker skinned people don'e GENDER Traditionally female heads are repre- sented in soft light, and male ones in harder direct lighe — this is to comple- ment the qualities that the artist or photographer wants to bring out in the subject. Direct light suits male faces cause it emphasizes the strong planes of the jaw and cheekbones, whereas Jiffused ight is berter at revealing the softer planes of the female Diffused light also reveals less texture, which again is desirable when lighting women in a flactering way. Men's faces can suit having their rugged texture revealed by harder lighting. There are no cules, of course these are merely conventions, and you will find plenty of examples thac fall outside of chem. is traditio BELOW Soft ligh female subjects, asi flatters and softens tothe skin, ly used on the features anHair The reflective properties of hair are distinctive and unique. Each strand of hair is very glossy and carries a very wide highlight along its lengch, Char- acceristically, strands of hair will clump into groups so the highlights will also clump together to form areas of unified highlights running across the hair. The tidier the hair, the smoother the highlights are likely co be — serufly and layered air will have broken highlights, tending co look duller as result The best way to deal with haie is to approach it inicially asa unified whole, looking at the main masses and clumps ng he that are grouped together and obse how the highlights run over them, highlights dominate the colouring of the hair, and create the greatese contrast and colour change. Even if there is colour vatiacion in the component of the hair itis generally secondary in importance to the highlight Here the groups of highlights clump together in the strands of hair, an all the contrast and colour change is provide by the highlight: the head as one wide highlit Here you can see the wide highlights at the top of the head, running around the parting. exeRCISE 1" jigntine t he Basic Head 11.1 » 1.2 Ir the image is blurred itis easier Sam how the highlights are grouped without boing distracted by the deta, 11.3 When the image is blurred i's muchas to see how the highlights are unified work as a group. Thore is much Marsa Jour variation in this hair than inthe ‘ous example, as well as a greater fale highlights over the length ofthe hil a ~ PART 2. PEOPLE S ENVIRO! Biever vais PEOPLE The simplest approach to lighting the human head is to break it down into its most basic planes. Once you've got the starting point established you can add more complexity later, but in most cases it is best to begin tackling any problem by taking it down to its simplest components. a The actual form of the head is very simple. All of the minor details are omic- ted and you can tackle the problem of lighting from a very simple starting poine 1.2 When you have decided on the light direction and quality according to the needs of your image, you can build on the basic form and add details such as jowls, cheek hollows and wrinkles 1.3 Only begin adding more ‘complex and realistic bone seruc- ture when you have figured out your lighting on the basic cem place. Withoue a proper founda- tion, the more subtle work th ‘comes later cannot be a5 ENVIRONMENT. Light is what defines the look of an environment. Ic affects every aspect of it and gives it much of its qualities and its visual appeal. Different lighting conditions will have a profound effect on the appearance of an environment, so an understanding of how light affects environments, both indoors and outdoors, is essential to their realistic depiction. In outdoor situations there are wo main kinds of 1 light: direct from the sun, or some kind of diffused skylight, either cast from an overcast sky, or from skylight in the shade or after sunset. 812: LIGHTIN THE ~— skylight the sky has a very significant on the quality of light. Not : jin source of light, such as when behind cloud. This means sun is the sky is the main facror decer- che appearance of outdoor light, Hehe firs element to take ineo Iieration when depicting an out- gene. Skies come in many guises, the lighting conditions are Jimited — refer to Chapter 3 for bredetils. Once you have decided on entals such as the time of day, kind of weather and corresponding Js, you will wane to think about a {quality of sunlight and che translucency of clouds, creates a huge variety of pos sibilities for the artist. ‘Skies, like landscapes, have several layers of interest and ate subject to perspective, We think of landscapes having foreground, middle ground and background, and in the same way skies will have layers of cloud and acmosphere, ranging from low-lying cumulus clouds co very high stratus clouds ~ depending on the position of the sun, these can have dramatically different lighting, In the digital sketch on che opposite page, nore how the landscape is divided into foreground and background ~ this is mostly done in value, where the foreground is dark and che background another layer of depth. The sky is also divided into layers: the dark clouds re in the foreground and the lighter clouds are further away. More subely though, there is also a layer of high stratus clouds behind the foreground clouds. These are very light in value because of the position of the sun below chem, whereas the near clouds are dark because the sun is behind them. Nore hhow the clouds recede in perspective: the far clouds are small and indistinct. All of this helps to create a sense of depth and armosphere. that will fi chese criceria, Skies are beautiful, with an artractive lumi- is lighter, with less concrast, because of aemospherie perspective, and chere are also patches of mist, which help to add ‘This sketch uses a minimumol brushstrokes to depict the shy the pink haze and the sun addi layers t the image, fey which, coupled with the varying PART 2: PEOPLE. ENVIRO! ER 12: LIGHTIN THE ENVIRONMENT LEFT These examples show some ofthe range that skies can have, and'the different lighting conditions, colours and moods ‘associated with them,Haze, fog & mist Outdoor be significant. Ie comes in different ‘guises, depending on the amount of ‘water and other particulate matter in atmospheric perspective will the air, 6o on a very dry, clear day ie will be less significant than on a hazy murky day, Pollution is also a coneriburing factor, so most big cities will always have some kind of atmospheric haze The quality of and colour of the haze is variable, buc is generally based on the sky colour, so a blue sky often yields a bluish haze, a sunset sky might have an orange or pink haze, an overcast sky ‘would have a grey or whice one however there are exceptions and it is quite possible to get a white haze in & blue sky, Distance can also cause the haze to take on a yellow tinge due to che blue being scattered by the intervening atmosphere, even in the middle of che day. Another atmospheric effect is where light is visible because of the presence of particles (especially of water) in the acmosphere. This is what causes sun rays to be visible in certain conditions. Even if the haze is too fine to be clearly visible ie can be lit up with strong light from che sun shining through it. In denser concentrations these water particles can form a mist or fog, which will have a very strong diffusing effect on light, and create even and directionless lighting. The denser the concencration of parvicles, the mor hey will affece the visibility through che atmosphere, initially by reducing contrast and pushing local colours cowards the colour of the atmosphere and eventually rendering objects completely invisible at a certain distance. In clear skies visibility can be many miles, in hazier skies it will be reduced, and in fog ic will be limited roa very short distance. anes of light Woodlands often fy Jscape will generally cen have a land due toa combination of BP cercain value range based content in che aang ness ofthe sky: the sky air and dappled from the openings in the, i Bese rhs sill be esa li c darker. This ts fod willbe Hearts moss cin Be sere ante co hei Beer This rate of dhomb occurs Bros lighting condicions, whether Saturation levels any or overcast. Sa illo often follow chis same scheme, ithe amoune of saturation went on the luminosity of each lneand element sment, the 1 be several -ause of the ghe: with the sky be very bright, cer than the sky itis facing up is: OCKWISE FROM TOP LEER + Here the atmosphee possagg i and the distant sland an blue due to the haze scattering me way thatthe blue sky dogg. + The deep shade below the aaa extra contrast against which tha sunbeams stand out + A very dense fog in overeash here the light is perfectly eifused Compare this tothe very di n the previous example, + Water can also crests dense mist that catch the light ofthe bund and 3 tr nple of th Bite to see the values more clearly BELOW tier Highs rene Heiter than ule’ doesn't apply. The fo the gr wercast sky, DRAPER 12. GHTIN THE ENVIRONMENT HtNatural environments In natural settings foliage can also be an important consideration. One of translucent and can be very luminous when back lie. This can be a subtle thing co pick up on ~a field of grass will have a bright saturated glow when the sun is behind ie, bue although this i 4 routine occurrence it is racely noticed. In natural environments specularity tends to be visible only close up. Leaves are often waxy and this can give them very strong specular highlights, bue ‘once you step back far enough those highlights will be lost because the surfaces are broken up. This means that ‘wide landscape vista will not contain any specular highlights unless there is, foliage in the foreground — the exception to this is where there is water, which can provide large specular susfaces. FROM TOP TO BOTTOM + The back-It grass inthe sunlight is ed, becausa the sunlight shining is makingit glow transi +The same effect seen in foliage. + In awoodland,t saturated because ofthe back lighting fltering through the leav + There's alitte specularity here because of the very strong lighting. Ifyou look closely you will ses that some o clumps of leaves inthe middle distance have specular highlights. Once you step back far enough ti ugh, these will disappear completely Man-made environments Large or very prominent highlights are pretty much g man-made materials, except gf for water, a already mention tural scene, during oe jug ‘ain, may well have lange Sp reflections on some surface, up otherwise they are faisly rapa, materials chough, especially py 22lass which are abundane, offen very reflective surfaces Urban environments dif one sx il di og planes (on roads, pavements, thesldas gp ABOVE These materials are highly reflective and unmistakably man-made Note the strong influence of the the surfacas! vironment colour sunlight there are so Barer highlights dotted about the spelen fective areas Found only on the man-made objects. tyefound taposition of old and The typical sur w the materials have very are tis as w dark the dows in daylight it's Testont HAPTER 12-.iciiT THE ENVIRONMENTInterior spaces Interiors are another aspect of man environments, and come in many guises. Interiors can utilize natural light, artificial light, or a mixeure of both. Natural lighe is considered to be more pleasanc than artificial lighting, s ‘most of the buildings we live or work in try to maximize the use of this better quality of light wich windows and skylights, Working or living in a windowless 100m feels oppressive and unpleasane. This means that our interiors will often be subjece to changing natural lighe, in similar way to the outdoors: a window can have sun streaming through it at certain times of day, or cast a cool blue light from the sky or the white lighe of overcast weather into a room. W make our interiors changeable and alive their light following the thythm of day and night and connecting ws to the outside world, In some interiors where natural light is not available, artificial lighe is the only solution, and this means thae these places have very constant lighting chat doesn't vary according co the time of day or the seasons. Lighting in these ‘environments tends to be primarily functional rather chan aesthetic. DVE The different levels ofthis building raceive different amounts and types of Light: natura ight from the skylights in the Ceiling and illumination from artificial lights. Note the difference in co jomperature between the natural and RIGHT This gallery is flooded with 001 daylight coming from ther side of he room, This shopping arcade features space falloff causes this light ico to create a mixed lighting, There is avery todiminish, so artificial ight is peaabi htto ange ont onthe let noeded to complement it. The Bessa vine paiva natural light isan essentia which floods the building with natura part ofthis space. he upighters refle fF the white hich is essentially being used as @ Inthis subway station there is no natural light, because the tunnels are built deep heap and convenient diffuser urface. Here artifical light is i very functional: essential, and its de PART 2: PEOPLE & ENVIRO Sarre Ler tHe ENVIRONMENT& Night-time Shops, h se ig Passing |RONMENTS SMAPTER 12. LiGHT INTHE ENVIRONMENT 1% PART: PEOPLE &ENVEXERCISE 12 Alien Landscape This exercise looks at the process of lighting an environment that is set in an alien world, such as you might see in a science fiction film or Be sclhigpo tebe, MA Ou eds Saber otis eo samnEnd parole oe sreare the required acm ce. In this fhe: = bing used to establish a new as, aren and blue hues have been used The primary aim is always to convey the right kind of emotion and Je impos acne sen iy ha hae atmosphere. Creating environments is not just about realistically e eet . eee ay reproducing what exists in nature, but, as you will see in the final three resco middle ground a nor a i wh ht chapters of this book, its in fact mostly about creating a mood in order bLivamdiodu orang spa rig onda Ao mon | to communicate something to your audience. a d method of creating depch sense of isolation thae the ewo figure in de make he background The landscape shown here was intended to convey a sense of mystery . a EE hae ee ee and apprehension: there are two explorers wandering into an alien Fer Ligh Nava blag apace the dark part of epee jungle environment, and they are stepping out of the light and into a tt nein he poles lege ace Coeds omesrous pce sol enfonment wid wbmcrer chy dks ap Aan act you cn le iheing ae 12.2 When thee ae ewo relatively small atmosphere do most ofthe work and lve | ina much wider environment, it a lot of the de xc ~ this is a more fice onl Bight igh inthe pice ise bend them, which rr he shows yet hte yuents Parr 2 PEOPLE & ENVIRON Bearer 2. .iciiT THE ENVIRONMEN?13: COMPOSITION — & STAGING When it comes to using light creatively there are few rules, and indeed it is important to realize that rules can be a hindrance — whereas the earlier part of the book dealt with the physical attributes of light, when it comes to art there is only one rule, and it is a very important one: Art is not physics. With this in mind, the first thing that should be taken into consideration is that you should not become too literal and inflexible with the knowledge you have gained about light in the physical world Here is an illustration using one BFENg methods of staging: spotlight shines on a character to single him Gu against his surroundings PART -cREATIVE LIGHTING creating focus gery is otll wae imation of film. - ved a solid understat ris I alisti- e ace where the lighting hz ee y rather than dictate it. Be serict czech on fepinced cowards che area of interes t re imple device does a Pesexremely Simp Bab acu. ‘his i lly Heharacter who is central to thar scen Ierything else is shrouded in darkness ecnuse ic is not important to the story aethis In scality we obviously don't liv Inaworld where spotlights shine down Jn people who might have something portant to say, yer when you're watch. ing play at che theatre you would nev Iqustion this device, you simply accept fo marter how crude and obvious the tick mighe seem, it does nor cause any particular problems with the suspension ifdisbelicf experienced by the average fbeatre audience There are of course more elaborate he viewer's artention where you want it tobe, but they ate also doing exactly the (HAPTER 13. COMPOSITION & STAGING ——— ne thing as our theatre spotli (On film sets there are many lights, each with a job co do, but st : cffectively and establishin; elaborate set with hundreds of lights hhting, For instance, many come ighting, to avoid any shadows which might provide a more sombre cl = this is not a reflection of reality but a deliberace device to create a specific mood In films you can often find the spot ran the example described above, it is quite common to pick out an importan light in an actor's eyes with a special light, of use multiple fill lights to lighten or darken areas according to their imporeance and of course to use lights to create aesthetic appeal Some cinematographers like to have wha chey call 'morivation! for cheir I have a log 1s, meaning that the light should 1 source that che viewer can understand, but for others this is less sights imporcanc and they will us source. The truth is, audic re whether the light sou sense, as long as there isn't a reall ous and illogical clash i a N Light ch the backer oby 2 the ight isLeading the eyeUsing contrast The classic method for using contrast to draw the eye to a focal py ally relies on using the lightest light and the darkest dark at th cal point, reserving more muted contrast else- where. This technique has been used for snturies across all media, from paine- ing to theatse and film, The effect can depending on the mood you wish to ach When deciding on the composition and lighting of any image, che bese way | right, By working in this formae quickly and on a very small scale, you will be able to try out various ideas without losing, too much time on variants that don't work out, It can also save a lot of headaches that you mig! | tun into later on if you launch into | detailed image without having thought out potential issnes firs Take « look at the images from art and film shown on these pages to see how contrast has been successfully used as a compositional devic This crowded scene is carefully staged to lead the eye tothe characters inthe far background by shining the brightest light ‘on them, leaving the numerous foreground characters in obscure darkness. be used very dramatically ot very subtly, create a series of chumbnail sketches, see a These thumbnails allow you to seathe effects of different contrasts, The fun the image, top right, is most noticeable this is the darkest and lightest point cece as focal point ofthe little gir is clearly defined bythe ghtis used to lead the through the painting via the second charac nile there isa bright area in the fer of this image, the eye Is The use of the PART. CREATIVE LIGHTING ‘CHAPTER 18 COMPOSITION & STAGING trast is found on the face. Note how the angles of the wind: and the face cleverly echo each other BELOW Light falls on the globe and on the@ Back lighting stribution of values pDi Another common and very effective way of drawing che eye strongly to- wards a subject is tc ick lighting rast kind of lighting ay ic is very effective for isolating a subject, often in silhou a bright background The spotlight device is often used in ‘onjunction with back lighting, as this creates a very powerful seagin, which draws the eye immedia the majority of the image in and use che light to pick out your centre of interest hus creating a very atmospheric in Though this scene Is still dark, we are raven immediately tothe characte Ope th attention to is isolated as silhouettes by the backlight. rc shapes should overl make suce that their edges are not to elose together as this will make then read less clearly; @ strong overlap is a fer way to get shapes to read ples on the right, pleasing diseribucion of mote likely co result in successful composition, and one way achieve this is by looking at the values an abstract design: an attractive abstract design will result in an attractive composition. Tn animation or special effects, film shots ace often planned so that the visual aderlying designs upon which the lighting is based. ]OVE RIGHT In this shot the values are RK PART CREATIVELIGHTING ‘CHAPTER 12: COMPOSITION 8 STAGING ve in _ el14: MOOD & SYMBOLISM Light and colour are the key ingredients when directing the emotions of your audience, and almost every work of art, from film to illustration, will use these tools to manipulate the emotional response of the audience. Sometimes this manipulation can be subtle, at other times it will be dramati audience will and an his charactors across be ian rarely realize that it is going on, but ve ofthe monstrous anda will nonetheless be affected on a subconscious level. The overall moods col wth the grees athe rads onde TAT REL Cavan PEE PART: CREATIVE LIGHTING setting the tone sever! fi soot sehere lian far chacacte specific method colout po limit or symb depend tion of either ors play a role in conveying ight ot dark the overall he colour of the light, ies ¢s quality, and its relative In films certain scenes or ay be dominated by a jour. This is a very common a story-telling device. There are ons ot sec rules on how mood 1 the creativity and imagina- artist. The effects can be ong of subtle, depending on the rnd the vision behind ie character of Ofelia is realistically it, to signify that she Is inthe real world. ABOVE Here Ofelia isin an alter ality, The lighting is heightened and the CHAPTER 14. MOOD & SYMBOLISM _ —- Mood and symbolism can be used in relation to characters, locations or sections ofa story. Ligh ional mess ool for conveying within a story, one chat is used in all styles of visual story-telling, from the fantastic to the more mundane. In fact, the use of lighting can be used co set the tone of the story: realistic lighting nacu: rally suggests a realistic story, and lighe pened in its effect can ing that is hei therefore suggest either something unreal of a heightened reality — and sometimes che two can be combined within the same scory 1g is @ powerful BELOW In the final scene, we see Ofelia in some kind of afterlife. Again the colours are ated, but this time the mood contrast, warmer and mora golden lighting:@ Lighting characters _ abolism ss PARTS CREATIVE LIGHTING CHAPTERS. 1400D & SYMBOLISM@ Lighting environments Lighting is an essencial ingredieng mood for a particulae Locetions can be lit ep n feeling oF to symbol. the quality of lighting, its colour and key, can be used bork for subjective purposes and t0 create nse in the audience, A location bright and sunny will haye a ly differen feel from one thar s dark and gloomy. Lighe is associated with good, and darkness is symbolic of evil ‘There are no limits on how light can be used subjectively ~ audiences will respond positively by suspending their disbelief and go action rather chan noticing the often unnatural or unrealistic lighting used for artistic purposes. You can takew Bright colours and the palette PARTS -CREATIVELIGHTING (CHAPTER 14: 00D & SYMBOLISMUsing lighting to enhance the story The final common aspect of lighting direct the or simply By using lighting to guide the emotions of an audience, the stor ‘enhanced and the but lighting is a powerful and important cool thar works in a similar nd it ean also be applied in such as illustrations and wased upon the they are likely to ‘means that an arcise has eremendous freedom to manipulate lighting for creative ends, to produce any kind of ‘mood, or even to use it as an overt symbol with which to reinforce the message, CREATIVE LIGHTING CHAPTER 14.1000 & SYMBOLISM| ge TIME & PLACE Light is often used as a defining element in story- telling, a way of partitioning locations, periods or even segments of a single story, much like the chapters of a book. There are several reasons for this: to differentiate different places or times within a narrative, to create associations of mood with a particular location or time, to recreate some authenticity to the past or to suggest some imagined future, or simply to create variety. — pPer' od lighting the anachronistic lighting might distract from the story. This scene from Pride and Prejudice was. Of course there's mote to this than shot using warm, high-contrast lighting Literal representation of period juse ehe liveral repr P with a high falloff that mimies the lighting? neues lowed by the technology ofthe period es ein ee 188 often used to convey specific feelings about a location and to deive the story ‘This is often so subtle chat audiences will noe be consciously aware that they are being manipulated in this way. Lighting can be used in a variety of ways co suggest specific ideas about a petiod or a location: artificial lighting is always a product of technology so this is PART. CREATIVE LIGHTING (CHAPTERS: TIME& PLACE _ ae In this stil from the TV series Mad Men the lighting and colour palette ar muted tones, mimicking the lov-con allabe in the early 19 one of the primaty aspects used to Nea represent period or culcural elements “a of a lighting set-up. The macerials film sto i used, and how ehey react to Light, onthe series is set, This creates a retro are also extremely important look, diving a more authentic fel considerations. Again, this will reflect the technology of the period as well as specific circumstances relating to the story elements. The lighting inthis scene from Blade Runner's stark, futuristic and nological, reflecting the future in film is st. which th@ Establishing locat ‘The narrative arc is also an importane consideration: lighting can be used to divide the story into segments. In Chapter 14 we saw how this can be do | in terms of mood, bue it can also be done | more pragmacically: different locations, culeures or periods will have different kinds of lighting and materials and chis can be exploited cleverly to drive or divide the narsative This device is used to great effect in the Sear Wars films. There is a separate universe, which is very diverse and has a large number of diffe well as two distinct epochs. These separate the original trilogy from che prequels, which were filmed 20 years later. Both sets of films have a separa look and feel, which helps to explain how things have changed in the time hae separaces them within the scory The Empire is defined as a very stark, high-tech world, and Darth Vader epic glossy black helmet and is covered in clectronic-looking lights. The materials used in his costume are high tech and smizes this look: he wears a very extremely reflective, The Empire RES. Bet iia a 160 locations are very similar in design, but they are mostly white and grey rather than black. The surfaces used are usually reflective, very flat and with a profusion of small lights everywhere Any environment associated with the Rebels is based on organic forms and natural materials, from Tatooine to Dagobah (where Yoda resides) to Endor (the planet of the Ewoks). These separate locations are given their own distinct look based upon common design elements. Tatooine is a desert, Dagobal is a swamp and Endor is a dense forest. This means the locations look different in cerms of materials and lighting, but the same kinds of organ forms and non-reflective natural materials are used ro create their own, separate visual identity while keeping to a common cheme: natural, organic and low-tech, Ridley Scott's Alien also uses this technique to visually separate the two spaceships in che film, one populated by humans and the other by an unknown and now dead alien species, which has been colonized by the hostile aliens of these. The hums sp brill wth no hard hag gg i designed route! len whi and symmetrical pater THE secchp slice al iva loc of da shadow, tong Bg berecn these oo hoa emphasize the alien epee SE boknown ship ici evr ama se han ones noe ABOVE the Empires an artificially treated, highly reflective world that is devoid of natural daylight. RIGHT The worlds of the Empire's enemies are organic and are bathed in natural light, The for are soft and rounded, there reflections, and it feels much m welcoming and natural than the cold environment of the Empire The highly reflective world of the Empire in Stor Wars; the Empire Strikes Back, brightly lt with futuristic looking lights: with a cold, biue cast PART: CREATIVE LIGHTING AERC rece _—@ Breaking uy thenarrative A good example of the use of different lighting and colour schemes to break up the narrative and represent dif ferenc sections of a story is the comic book Thorgal — Ait Deli Des Ombres (Lombard, 1983) by Van Hamme and Rosinski. The story takes place in several locations, ranging from a village to a supernacural afterworld, and che authors segment the story visually by giving cach location a very distinctive appear- ance, Each place has ies own lighting and colour palecte, with its own very strong, visual identicy ‘Changing the visual landscape in this ‘way really helps to involve the reader in the story, by throwing up surprises that stimulate the imagination — ic also helps to propel the narrative forward. Te produces a very similar feeling to that you might ger playing a computer game: when you reach a new level with ‘graphics that are complecely different from those that you have seen before it excites your imagination and helps to immerse you more deeply into the ‘world in which the game is set. ‘The same device can be used in any nactative, and is a powerful way to hold the interest of your audience by feeding their imaginations with something new. ‘The 1990s computer game Flashback fearures a number of levels, which take place in different locations, and the background artists made a real and very successful effore to make the locations as different as possible from each other in terms of lighting and colour. This helps +o break up the story into different sections, and isa real incentive ro progress through it ro sce what comes ‘next, The game is all the more remarkable given the very limited technology of the time. Despite this, it still looks good coday, berter even than many more modern computer games, because the artists creared somerhing extremely imaginative using artistry, rather than just relying on technology: B Time The concept of light can also be used t0 describe the passage of time in a more lireral and obvious way (day and night being a simple example). The subtle changes in light during che course of days and seasons, for instance. French arvise Claude Monet made it 2 major part of his work when he began painting hus various series in the late nineteenth century, where he would pick a subject and paint it many times, the successive images describing the changing light uupon them ae different times of day. This resulted in an enormous amount of different paintings, which are surptisingly varied and explore the complex subtlety of the changes in light and atmosphere that occur over days and seasons. The narrative here is simply the lighe itself and how it changes constantly over the course of time. The face chat the subjects in a series remain the same, but the paintings look so differenc from each other, says a great deal about the power of lighting and atmosphere when ie comes to creating mood, establishing the time of day and dictating the overall colour scheme Think how effective this is when ie is simply describing nacural light ~ once imagination is added co che mix the possibilities are endless. ‘The actual subject matter in these paintings is secondary. Light itself is their real subject, but one that shows enormous range and variety. It's a worthwhile exercise co pursue wich a camera, a sketchbook of even in 3-D renders ofa single scene: you will learn how many different variations a single subject can provide under different lighting and aemospherie condicions. By learning to see light in this way you can open up a whole new language to use in your own work, one which is not just a technical erick bue that can be used to convey any kind of message you choose ~ it's up to you and your imagination, ABOVE Each of the different levels ofthis computer game features an instantly Identifiable lighting and colour scheme! OW While the subject remains the same, this series of Manet paintings | BELOW Tonal values ring the changes as couldn't be more diferent from each other this comiebook story moves through so altered are they by the light at different different realms. times of the day. 162 PART 3: CREATIVE LIGHTING CHAPTER 15-TIMES PLACE 1a _ —_— aoe aGLOSSARY, INDEX & PICTURE CREDITS|GLOSSARY 3-D Three-dimensional; a 3-D image appears to have height, ‘width and depth, chus conveying a convincingly lifelike quality A ‘Additive colour model Mixes cogether the primary colours of the visible Light spectrum to produce different colours. When all theee primary colours are combined in equal quantities the appearance of white is produced, Television screens and computer monitors are examples of systems using additive colour. See also Colour spectrum, Primary colours of light. Alpengiow Originally a reference to the reddish-orange light thae can bbe seen at dawn and dusk on snow-covered mountain peaks, the term came co be used to describe the pink light ‘ast onto any reflective susface from the eastern sky. Ambient light In CG terms ambient light isa disectionless and even environmental light source, usually with a very low intensity. In ehe real world itis the existing environmencal light created by the mixture and bouncing of all existing light sources. ‘Ambient occlusion pass An optical illusion that adds depth co-an image by shading around che areas where surfaces meetin order to simulate the effect produced by a large diffuse light source Anisotropic reflection ‘A reflection that is distorted by icregulaticies on the reflective surface, See also Distortion, B Back lighting ‘A method of artistic lighting, where the light source is behind the subject, helping to separate the subjece and its background, thus giving a more ehree-dimensional appearance to the image. See also Rim lighting. Base shadow A shadow placed at the base of an object thae sits on @ surface, making the objecc look more naturally placed. Bevelled edie ‘An angled or rounded edge, commonly found on most ‘man-made objects; bevelled edges catch lighe variety of different angles, providing multiple Blocking in A technique used by artists whereby they sketch in larger shapes in an image before attending to the See also Detail frequency. Bounced light Light tha reflects off surfaces, adding to the overall illumination of an environment and softening the os effect of the lignting, Bounce. See Bounced light. ci cab Acronym: Computer-Aided Design, also known as Computer-Aided Drafting or Computer-Assisted uses computer software to design ewo- and three- dimensional virtual models, Cast shadow Created by an object blocking che source of light; shadows are whar we generally think of as shadows. usually hard-edged, See also Form shadow. Causties 3 ‘Occurs where light is reflected or refracted by @ curved distorted surface, creating patterns of light such as sometimes be seen on bottom of swimming pools. cc Acronym: Computer Graphics. The use of computer sofeware to create and manipulate images. Cloud cover AA sky condition that has the effect of diffusing sunlight chat the sun's rays emerge from the cloud in different directions. Colour cast ‘An imbalance of the primary colours in a light source produces a cast of the mose prevalent colour over an. but this is usually ileered out by the brain (which tends perceive light as being neutral) so that it becomes ‘only in photographs. See also Primary colours of light, White balance. Colour intensity ‘The intensity and purity ofa colour. The more white light che lower the intensity of the colour, which will have a pale, washed-out appearance. Also known as colour saruration. Colour perception ‘Human colour percepeion is based on the primary colours red, gzeen and blue and is highly subjective Colour saturation. See Colour intensity. Colour spectrum ‘The grouping together of light waves. The wavelengths we can detect as colours (ranging from red to violet) form the visible light spectrum, Those waves outside the colour spectrum in the shorter range are ultra-violet, X- and gamma rays, while those in the longer range are infra-red waves. See also White light. rays, microwaves and Colourtemperature ‘Measures the heac of a colour in visual terms. The closer a colour is to red oF orange, the warmer it is considered to be, and it is perceived as growing colder as it travels along ‘he visible spectrum towards blue. However, scientifically speaking, ted is at the cooler end of the scale, and blue at the hotter end. The hocter a flame burns, the mote it tends ‘towards blue Colour value “The lightness or darkness ofa colour. Colour wheel ‘The arrangement of the colours of the visible light spectrum in a continuous band. Contrast ‘The perceived difference in cones that are adjacenc to each, cher. Low-key Lighting creates high concrast, while high- key lighting produces low contrast. Hard edges and glossy surfaces create higher contrast than soft edges and matt surfaces. See also Fake contrast, High-key lighting, Low- key lighting Curvature ‘The sofe transition from light co shadow that occurs when an object is curved. A hard edge produces no curvature. D Dappled light ‘The areas of lighe and shade produced when light is filvered through a broken mass, for example when sunlight shines through tes. Diffuse reflection ‘The scattering of light by the reflective surface as a result of how light and macter inceract with each other. Most natural materials produce this type of reflection, which is what enables us to perceive the texture and colour of objects. See also Scattering. Diffused lighting Light that is softened by passing through a translucent diffuser or by reflecting off ofa diffuse surface. Direct reflection ‘The clear reflection that is produced by light reflecting on, shiny susfaces, such as water or polished metal. Also known. as specular reflection, Distortion ‘The effect on a reflection of any irregularity in a reflective surface, The reflection will be distorted along, the length of the surface irregularity. Curvacure can also distort reflection. See also Anisotropic reflection. F Fake contrast Increases the contrast between edges to create a higher conteast than actually exists. This effect is achieved by the brain working vo produce an acceptable level of contrast. Photo editing software can mimic the process Falloft ‘When « light source decays, becoming less bright asthe lighe moves away from its source. Filltight A secondary light source used to illuminate shadows. Flat front lighting A light source shining directly from in front of the object, creating a flac effec chat reveals very litle texture Fluorescent lighting A form of non-incandescene lighting with a greenish- bluish cas, generally used for lighting;public places.Form shadow A subtle, soft-edged shadow on the side of an object that is facing away from the light source, the side that the light can't reach. Specular and highly transparene surfaces have ro form shadows. Fresnel effect More or less reflection will be seen on a surface depending ‘on the angle from which ic is viewed. G Golden hour The hour before sunset, when evening light produces warm colours and soft contrast. Also known as the magic hour. Gradation ‘The gradual change in the density of colour, caused by various factors, including transitions, falloff and scatcering, H Haze Caused by articles of dust or other matter in the ‘atmosphere scattering the light. Depending on how chick it is haze can alter perception to a greater or lesser extent. High-key lighting A low-contrast style of photographic lighting achieved by using backlighe and fill lighe co reduce the conerast between fight and dark areas. See also Low-key lighting. Hot spot ‘The reflection of a light source on a diffuse surface. Unlike specular highlight there is gradation from che hot spot into a darker tone. See also Specular highlight. Hue Value ofa colour on the colour wheel, Hue variation Variation of the local colour of an object for any reason, See also Local colour. ' Incandescence 4 ‘The emission of light by a heated source. Incandescent light Light produced by incandescence; usually used for indoor lighting. See also Tungsten light. 168 L Light-emitting device Any electrical appliance that emits light, such as a computer monitor or celevision screen, Light pollution ‘The intrusion of avficial light into areas not intended to be lie ae night Local colour ‘The colour, or hue, of an object. Lost edge ‘An effece produced by the brain, and mimicked in paineing and photography, whereby the edges of objects are lost so that there is less concrast, creating a softer transition, Low-key lighting, Asstyle of phorographic lighting thae relies on high contrast between light and shade to create dramatic effects See also High-key lighting. Luminosity variation Uneven light causing variation in che appearance ofa surface, Lighting that provides shadows with ehe same colour saturation as the lit areas. See also Colour saturation, North Light ‘The most consistent natural lighe source, which, being. diffuse, casts no shadows. Traditionally, a norch-fcing. studio provided the optimum light conditions for artists ° One-point perspective Used co render a subject head-on, with the perspective receding towards a single vanishing poine. See also ‘Vanishing poine. Overcast light ‘The type of light produced when there is cloud cover: Cloud is cast over the light source, the sun. Pp Penumbra ‘The lighter part of «shadow as it approaches the edge. Soe also Umbra. Perspective A technique used in drawing and painting to provide a sense of space and distance. See also One-point perspective, Planes of light ‘The thee discince lighting planes in most landscapes: the sky, the ground and any trees oF foliage. The brightest plane is usually che sky, while che darkes isthe middle plane. However, this will alrer depending. on weather conditions and time of day. Primary colours of light Red, green and blue (RGB) are known as the primary colouts of light ~ mixing them in different combinations produces all che colours of the visible lighe spectrum. R Radiance ‘The effece produced by light bouncing when it hies a surface that is any colour other than black, Different coloured surfaces will absorb different wavelengths of light, so the colour of the radiance will depend on the colour of che surface, Raking Illuminating a susface with ehe light soutce at an oblique angle to the surface. The light rakes across ie, showing any cexture and distortions in the surface. Refraction ‘The slowing down and bending of alight ray as it passes from one medium to another, for example from water to air ‘The degree to which it bends depends on che refractive index of the material through which the tay is passing. Light waves of different energies, or colours, will bend at slightly different angles. See also Refractive index Refractive index ‘A measurement of the speed at which light passes through a material. Air has a lower refractive index than water, which, in cura, bas a lower index than gemstones, The lower the index of a material, che greater che degree to ‘which the lighe will slow down as i¢ passes through. Rim lighting Backlighting chac is positioned in such a way chac it highlights the edges of the subjece. Ic is particularly effective when the subject has a degree of transparency or translucency. cLossary s Scattering ‘The multi-directional reflection of light by the medium through which the light passes, or is reflected by, for example water or dust. The degree of scattering depends on, the navure of the material. See also Diffuse reflection, Haze. Secondary light Ligh« reflected by a secondary light sousce. The sun is a primary lighe source whose light is reflected by the moon, @ secondary light source. Skylight ‘The narural light chat comes from the sky ac any time of day or night. Softbox A piece of photographic equipment that diffuses reflected light directed at the subject of a photograph, creating a soft, diffused light Spectrum. See Colour spectsum. Specular highlight ‘The reflection ofa light source on a shiny susface. Le appears as a brighe spor of light Specular reflection. See Direct reflection. Surface modelling Defining shapes by means of light falling across them. Surface normal “The angle that is perpendicular toa surface. On a curved surface this angle varies according to the curvature, T Terminator ‘The border between the area of an object that is in light and che area that is in shade, Texture ‘The surface quality of a material, describing aceributes such as coarseness or smoothness. Three-point lighting {A formula for photographic lighting, Ie uses @ key light that shines directly on to the subject, a back light and a fill light, See also Beck lighting and Fill lightTonal variation Variation in colour that aids our comprehension of an image. See also Tone. Tone ‘The darkness or lightness of a colous, also known as the value ofa colour, Alll colours have a variety of tones, with darker hues having a larger tonal range than lighter ones. Colour tone is relative in chat is affected by the surrounding colours Transition The point at which an object moves from shadow into light or vice versa, The harder the edge of an objece, the harder the transition; a softer edge makes fora softer transition ‘The transitions help define the shape and composition of an object. Tungsten lighting A type of incandescent lighting with a yellowish-orange cast, generally used for lighting domestic interiors. u Umbra The central and darkest, hardest-edged area of a shadow. See also Penumbra, v Vanishing point AA point on the horizon used as a point of convergence for conveying perspective, One-point perspective has a single vanishing point, ewo-point perspective has two vanishing points and so on, Volume ‘The space occupied by an object. No matter how complex the shape of an object, its volume is always defined either by planes of light or by rounded forms. w White balance A facility on digical cameras that enables the user to remove the colour cast from an image when there is colour imbalance, just as we do with our eyes, so thae the colour balance in the photograph is as we expect ie to be. White light The colours ofthe spectrum, blended together. See also Colour speccrum, cLossaRY |S INDEX A ‘Adelson, Edward H. 105 Allien Ridley Scott) 160, 161 Aliens James Cameron) 153 alpenglow 31 ambient occlusion 56, 57 arcificial lighting candlelight 46, 50, 52, 53, 159 colour 17, 44, 46, 47, 48, 50, 51, 53, 106-7, 136 commercial lighting 42, 46, 47 diffused 42, 44, 45, 51 falloff 42, 76, 114, 158 firelight 50, 159 fluorescent lighting 17, 47, 49, 111 functionalicy 44, 46 and highlights 44, 45, 46, 47, 50, 51, 60, 76 household lighting 17, 31, 42, 44-5 in interior spaces 17, 42, 44-6, 47, 52, 134 light pollution 37 light sources 17, 42, 44, 45, 46, 51, 58 mood, creating 46, 48 with nacural light 48-9, 50, 52, 53, 134,135 neon lighting 136, 137 at night 136-7 and period lighting 159 photographic light 51, 58 quality 42, 44, 45, 50 and shadows 44, 45, 47, 51, 60 street lighting 17, 48, 49, 51 ungscen lighting 17,31, 44, 49, 105, 107 atmosphere, creating see mood, creating “Aronemene Joe Wright) 156 B basic principles balancing light and shade 16 behaviour 13-14, 27, 55 exercise 19 radiance 15 three-point lighting 18 white balance 17 Blade Runner Ridley Scote) 148, 159 blue lighe 12, 13, 14,17, 27, 31, 32, 107 Bram Stoker's Dracula (Francis Ford Coppola) 152 ie candlelight 46, 50, 52, 53, 159 caustics 98 colour of artificial lighting 17, 44, 46, 47, 48, 50, 51, 53, 106-7, 136 atmospheric effects 38, 130 broken colour 116-17 colour perception 64, 104-5 colour specerum 13, 51, 100, 103, 104 colour temperature 29, 33, 40, 47, 50, 53, 102, 111-12, 150 colour wheel 103, 104 ‘complementary colours 29, 40, 53, 64, 105 and composition 144 exercise 116-17 and film-making 150, 151, 152, 153, 155 gradation 113, 114, 115 hhue 104, 106-7, 113 indoor ligheing 43, 53, 112, 134 of light 12, 13, 14, 15, 17, 102-5, 106-9, 110 see also under sunlight local colour 77, 89, 104, 106, 109, 110, 112, 113 ‘mood, creating 102, 112, 139, 150, 151, 152, 153, 155, 156, 157 and narrative 162 natural lighe 27, 31, 32, 36 see also under sunlight ‘optical illusions 17, 64, 105 in overcast light 17, 31, 33, 34, 43 primary colours 104 properties 104 and reflection 15, 74, 75, 88, 89, 103, 104, 108 saturation 15, 103, 104, 106, 107, 108-9, 110, 122, 151 see also under acura light; shadows and shadows 14, 40, 62-3, 64, 100, 104, 109, 122 skin tones 121, 122, 123, 124, 125 in the sky 13, 14, 29, 30, 31, 34, 37 and texcure 116, 117 value 104, 106, 108, 109, 110, 131 149 variation 113-15, 126 composition back lighting 148 and colour 144 and contrast 69, 70, 144, 146-7 focus, creating 143 leading the eye 144-5, 146, 147, 148 values, distributing 149 concrast in composition 69, 70, 144, 146-7 and direction of lighting 22, 23 in indoor lighting 43 in natural ight 13, 16, 28, 29, 30, 31, 33, 35, 84 and surface perception 69-70 and tone 16, 71 ‘The Corpse Bride (Tim Burton) 42 creative lighting in composition and staging 142-9 ‘mood and symbolism 150-7 see also mood, creating and narrative 152, 156, 158, 160, 162 for time and place 158-63 D depth 13, 22, 55, 56, 57, 67, 78, 139, 139 detail conveying 78, 80-1 and direction of lighting 21, 23, in nacural light 28 and reflection 67 direction of lighting, 20 back lighting 18, 23, 25, 148 from below 24, 25, 50, 152, 153 contrast 22, 23 and detail 21, 23 exercise 25 in film-making 151, 152, 153, and form 21, 22, 24, 25, 72 frone lighting 21, 25 mood, creating 20, 22, 23, 24, 25, 151, 152, 153 and shadows 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 50 side lighting, 22°25, 55and texture 21, 22, 23, 24 top lighting 24, 25, 50 translucency and transparency 23 E cenviconment, light in 128 atmospheric effects 38, 41, 61, 130 exercise 138-9 highlights 33, 35, 39, 84, 132 interior spaces 134-5 ‘man-made environments 132, 133 natural environment 132 at night 136-7 planes of light 131 translucency 27, 62, 94, 99, 100, 108, 109, 131, 132 see also sky; sunlight alien landscape 138-9 broken colour 116-17, calculating shadows 65 defining form 72-3 detail and highlights 80-1 light and shadow on faces 25 light in the landscape 40-1 mixed lighting 52 mood, creating 138-9 observation 19 people, lighting 127 reflective surfaces 90-1 transparency 101 F falloff 42, 76,99, 114, 158 films and film-making characters, lighting 152-3, 156 colour of lighting 150, 151, 152, 153, 155 ‘composition and staging 143, 145, 146, 148, 149 direction of ligheing 151, 152, 153 lighting, uses of 154-7 ‘mood, creating 112, 151-7 night scenes 37 and reflections 88 surface perception 160-1 three-point lighting 18 time and place 158-61 ficelight 50, 159 Flashback computer game 162 fog 16, 38, 130 foliage 31, 32, 83, 94, 108, 113, 131, 132 form and direction of lighting 21, 22, 24, 25,72 exercise 72-3 and natural light 28, 33, and reflection 78 with shadows 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 72, 73,78 and surface perception 67, 68, 70, 71, 72-3, 78 with tone 71, 76, 78, 110 Friends TV series 154 H haze 38, 41, 130 highlighes ‘with artificial lighting 44, 45, 46, 47, 50, 51, 60, 76 exercise 80-1 ‘man-made materials 82, 85, 86, 87, 132, 133 in natural environment 33, 35, 39, 84, 132 with natural light 24, 29, 33,35, 39, 58, 60, 84, 132 people, lighting 120, 124, 125, 126 reflection 39, 76, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87 specular (hot spots) 76, 82 and surface quality 71, 73, 82 1 indoor lighting 42, 43, 53, 76 see also window light L lamps 42 lampshades 44, 45 layering 139 lighe pollution 37 lighe sources artificial lighting 17, 42, 44, 45, 46, 31,58 natural light 13,58 and shadows 44, 45, 50, 51, 38-61 lighting balancing 16 diffused 21, 27, 125 exercise 52 fill ight 13, 60, 61, 62, 107, 109 hard 16, 21, 24, 44, 58, 77, 122, 125, 154 high-key 16, 151 low-key 16 mixed lighting 48-9, 50, 52, 134, 135 people see people, lighting soft 16, 21, 24, 43, 46, 58, 77, 123, 125 ‘three-point lighting 18 see also artificial lighting; creative lighting; direction of lighting; indoor lighting location defined by lighting 158, 160-1, 162 Juminosiey variation 113 M ‘Mad Men TV series 159 mist 61, 129, 130 Monet, Claude 163 mood, creating with artificial lighting 46, 48 with colour 102, 112, 139, 150, 151, 152, 153, 155, 156, 157 by direction of lighting 20, 22, 23, 24, 25, 151, 152, 153 exercise 138-9 in films 112, 151-7 lighting environment 151, 154-5 with nacural light 16, 35, 41, 48, 53 with shadows 54 N natural Light 40 alpenglow 32 with artificial lighting 48-9, 50, 52,53, 134, 135 atmospheric effects 38, 41, 61, 130 colour 27, 31, 32, 36 see also under sunlighe contrast 13, 16, 28, 29, 30, 31, 33, 35,84 dappled light 35, 59 during the day 27-9, 163 diffused 24, 34, 61, 76, 128, 130 at dusk 31 exercise 40-1 and form 28, 33 and highlights 24, 29, 33, 35, 39, 58, 60, 84, 132 in intesior spaces 52, 134, 135 light sources 13, 58 ‘mood, creating 16, 35, 41, 48, 53 moonlight 36, 49, 50, 52,53, at night 36-7, 48 copen shade 17, 32 overcast light 33-4 planes of 131 sacuration levels 28, 29, 31, 33, 60, 131, 132 skylight 13, 14, 30, 31, 49, 128, 129, 131 and texture 30, 33, 34, 37, 39 see also sunlight night-time and light 36-7, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52-3, 136-7 north light 43 ° occlusion 56, 57 overcast light bright light 34 and colour 17, 31, 33, 34,43, saturation levels 33, 60 and shadows 33, 34, 58, 60-1 and texture 33, 34 P Pan's Labyrineh (Guillermo del Toro) 151 people, lighting 120, 127 direction of lighting 20, 21, 24, 25 exercise 127 facial features 124 film characters 152-3, 156 hair 126 highlights 120, 124, 125, 126 race and gender 125 reflection 121, 122, 123, 124 shadows 62, 122, 124 skin tones 120, 121-3, 124, 125 three-point lighting 18 transitions 78 period lighting 158, 159 perspective 38, 65, 129, 130, 139 photographic light 51 photons 13, 14, 15, 75 planes of light 78, 131 Pride and Prejudice Joe Wright) 158 R red light 13, 14, 15 reflection angles 87-8 anisotropic reflection 86 bounced light 13, 15, 16, 55, 75 caustics 98. and colour 15, 74, 75, 88, 89, 103, 104, 108, curved surfaces 88 diffuse 67, 68, 74-81, 84, 88, 89 direce (specular) 67, 68, 79, 82-91 distorted surfaces 86 exercises 80-1, 90-1 flac surfaces 88 and form 78 fresnel effece 87, 93, 101 lossy surfaces 83, 84, 88, 89 highlights 39, 76, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86,87 man-made susfaces 82, 83, 85, 89, 132, 133, people, lighting 121, 122, 123, 124, 126 and refraction 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97 and shadows 74, 77, 78, 89, 99 specular (direct) 67, 68, 79, 82-91 and sueface properties 66, 67-8, 77, 78, 82, 83-6, 88 and texture 74, 79, 84, 85, 91 and tone 88-9 transitions 78, ‘cansparency and translucency 92, 93, 94, 96, 100, 101 uneven surfaces 85 and water 24, 33, 39, 79, 83, 85, 87, 93, 132 wer surfaces 79, 89, 91, 132 sworn and damaged surfaces 86 refraction 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 101 Rumford, Count (Benjamin Thompson) 4 S shadows, ambient occlusion 56, 57 with artificial lighting 44, 45, 47, 51, 60 base shadows 56, 57 cast shadows 13, 22, 54,55, 65, 77 and colour 14, 40, 62-3, 64, 100, 104, 109, 122 and depth 13, 22, 55, 56, 97, 67 and direction of lighting 21, 22, 23, 24, 25,50 exercise 65 and form 54, 55, 56,57, 58, 72,73. 78 form shadows 54, 55, 67, 74,77, 78, 99, 100, 109 hard 13, 44, 55, 58, 59 with indoor lighting 43 lighe sources 44, 45, 50, 51, 58-61 ‘mood, creating 54 in overcast light 33, 34, 58, 60-1 penumbra 58 people, lighting 62, 122, 124 and reflection 74, 77, 78, 89, 99 saturation levels 55, 62, 63, 100, 109 soft 13, 22, 58, 59, 60 and sunlight 13, 28, 29, 30, 58-9, 60, 61, 62 terminator 13, 55, 122 for texture 55, 58, 66 translucency and transparency 62, 63, 99-100 types of 54, 55-7 silhouettes 23, 26, 36, 148, 149 sky clouds 27, 30, 33, 34, 35, 37, 115, 129 colour in 13, 14, 29, 30, 31, 34,37 skylight 13, 14, 30, 31, 49, 128, 129, BI snow 16, 38, 61, 131 spotlights 44, 45, 46, 60, 142, 143, 148 staging 142, 143, 144, 146, 148, 149 INDEX 1