Understanding Light And Shadow

Lesson Summary

In this lesson, students will be drawing geometric shapes from real life observation — a still life. A still life drawing is an academic art exercise. The purpose is to train an artist to observe three-dimensional form and understand how light and shadow works in the physical world.

Lesson Objectives

Understand how light functions and effects the appearance of objects.
Strengthen observational skills.
Make drawings appear more realistic.

This drawing exercise will help students understand how light and shadow operate. They will learn about how light creates highlights, shadows and reflections on physical surfaces.

Discussion Brainstorm

Have you ever been to space? Would you like to go to space some day?
What do you think being in space is like?
Would you like to be an astronaut?
Can you name the planets in our solar system?
What are some objects that you can find in outer space? e.g. comets, meteors, rockets, satellites, trash, etc.
Are there any interesting facts that you know about space?

Materials Needed

Small Sketchbook
Project Sketchbook
4B Pencil & Eraser
Various 3D Geometric Shapes
Printouts

Understanding Light

Understanding how light operates is a key component in visual art. Without light, nothing is visible. Our eyes are able to see the world around us because of the light rays that are bounced off of physical objects that reach our eyes. A still life study helps an artist understand how light effects the appearance of objects. The more an artist understands how lighting conditions effect the visible environment, the better they can incorporate it into their artwork. A rigorous understanding of lighting principles can improve an artists drawing and painting abilities. Professionals that benefit from a thorough understanding of lighting principles are; interior designers, photographers, visual merchandisers, illustrators, computer animators, film makers, architects, industrial designers, fine artists, and more.

Terminology

Light Source — Things that produces natural or artificial light.
Shadow Line — The transition between the light side and the shadow side.
Cast Shadow — A dark area, usually on a flat surface where light is blocked by an object.
Highlight — The very lightest part of an object. It is the exact point where light hits an object, perpendicular to its surface.
Halftone — The part of an object that is hit with light, but is not perpendicular to its surface.
Core Shadow — The very darkest point within the Form Shadow where there is little light hitting the surface.
Form Shadow — The part of an object that is not in contact with direct light.
Reflected Light — Reflected light is when light is reflected onto an object.
Occlusion Shadow — The part of the shadow that is almost completely blocked from light. The occlusion shadow is immediately below the object. It is the space between the object and the surface floor.

What to do

*Artificial lighting will be turned off in this still life exercise. Students will first study and draw each geometric shape individually. Afterwards they will draw all of the objects together in a still life setup. They will draw each shape by closely studying its form, and understanding how lighting conditions effects the appearance of objects. Students will also learn about how sunlight and artificial light differ.

Step 1: How to Hold a Pencil for Easel Drawing

First I will teach you how to hold a pencil for easel drawing. Afterwards, practice making pencil strokes and render a tonal scale. This exercise will help you warm up and get comfortable with drawing on an easel.

Step 2: Line Drawing

Select a 3D shape such as a cube, cylinder or sphere and draw the outline of the object. As you draw, imagine where the horizon line and vanishing points of your subject are. The construction lines should be drawn lightly at first and then darkened after the structure has been better established. Vary your line-weight to give your drawing an added three-dimensional quality to it.

Step 3: Shading

Determine the light source(s) of your shape and study the highlights, shadows and reflective light on its three-dimensional surface. Identify the shadow line and determine the strongest highlights and the darkest shadows on the object. Shade in the shadows with your pencil while leaving the brightest parts white. Notice how the shadow line is smooth and gradual on rounded objects and sharp and clear on angled surfaces.

Step 4: Still Life Setup

After you have drawn each individual shape, draw them all together in an attractive still life setup. Plan the composition of the drawing and make sure that the line drawing is excellent before investing time into shading it.