One way to define the contour of a landscape is by means of cast shadows. In late afternoon, the shadows from trees or utility poles wrap over hills, jump up walls, and drop down over curbs.
Creating bands of light and dark adds a great deal of depth to a landscape, and it gives you something to place light or dark figures against.
Timely post -- once again it feels as though you've been peeking in my studio window. I'm currently working on a painting to be used on the cover of a local publication, the Ann Arbor Observer. The image is of a woman walking in the labyrinth at U of M's Botanical Gardens. The paths of the labyrinth are defined by circles of low-growing prairie grass. The woman's cast shadow, undulating up and down over three rows of grass, is the primary feature that really distinguishes the grass from the path.
ReplyDeleteFantastic. It's like you read my mind as I am working on a current piece I can apply this to.
ReplyDeleteWhen light strikes an object, the objects casts a shadow in the opposite direction of the light source. In graphic design, fake shadows from an imaginary light source add interest and realism to the printed page. Drop shadows and cast shadows are common devices used to add interest to graphics and text used in page layout.
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