Ground shadows

[John Bowery]

A question that I have not seen addressed anywhere.
If I want to paint some shadows from the sun, under the figures, on grass/ground and cement blocks. What colour (oil) would I use and how diluted? What is the best way to get the outline of the shadow on the base to fill in with the colour?
I have tried a flashlight and an Ott light and neither give a sufficient shadow to get an outline.
If anyone has any thoughts on this, I would be grateful.
Thanks in advance.
Cheers
John

 

[btavis]

I have thought about this. You need a strong focused light source like a projector to produce a distinct, hard edge shadow. A really powerful flashlight could work. Ott lights are too diffuse.

The opacity of the shadow is dependent on how direct the lighting source is you are trying to represent. A spotlight creates the strongest, darkest shadows and overhead sunlight is more diffuse (the shadow is filled in with reflected light, softening it). The color of the shadow is really your choice esthetically but usually (not always) it is complementary to the light source (i.e warm light source, cool shadow). Experiment.

 

[Jason W.]

John,

I don't have an oil color for use in shadows but on my French Chassuer 'a Pied, 1870
I used Vallejo Dark Blue Grey and Dark Sea Grey. I outlined the basic shape with Dark Blue Grey and filled in with a combo of Dark Blue and Sea Grey. The dillution rate was basically 1 part paint, 3 parts water. For the a light source, I used a flash light with the room dark.

Like Bob said, it's about experimenting.

Scroll down the page and you'll find him. Sorry I don't have the figure in my files.

http://jaywhitsminiatures.blogspot....-max=2007-01-01T00:00:00-08:00&max-results=32

Jason

 

[Einion]

A question that I have not seen addressed anywhere.
If I want to paint some shadows from the sun, under the figures, on grass/ground and cement blocks. What colour (oil) would I use and how diluted?

Using a darker, duller version of the base colour would be fairly typical. But with a clear sky though cast shadows can be bluer - because the sky itself is a large blue lightsource - you see this effect exaggerated in lots of very colourful paintings.

Dilution would be up to what you're most comfortable with; I'm sure it could be done with paint basically straight from the tube or a heavily-thinned mix with lots of turps/spirits and work about the same.

What is the best way to get the outline of the shadow on the base to fill in with the colour?
I have tried a flashlight and an Ott light and neither give a sufficient shadow to get an outline.

FWIW I wouldn't do this myself unless you've painted the figure in a commensurate manner, so it has to be painted with one lit side and one side completely in shadow, basically a full-on version of overhead/zenithal shading.

Anyway, I think you'll need a pinhole lightsource to get a shadow that crisp... or the sun on a clear day

Another way to get at least a believable outline would be to photograph the figure against a white sheet of paper so that it's nearly a silhouette in the pic, shooting from the angle you want the light to be. Then just use that as a guide to painting the cast shadow shape.

Although this is obviously a special effect you're unlikely to use all the time with experience you can get to the point where you can guesstimate the shape of the cast shadow pretty accurately.

Einion

 

[Einion]

http://jaywhitsminiatures.blogspot....-max=2007-01-01T00:00:00-08:00&max-results=32

Lovely figure Jason, and that cast shadow looks great!

Einion

 

[John Bowery]

Bob ~ Jason ~ Einion,
Many thanks for the quick replies. Jason the shadow looks great.
I have painted the figures basically with over head light. So I will try just taking it in the sun and see what that will give me. I had not thought about a darkened room (dauuuugh). Maybe this will be easier. I will try some of the mixes and see how it goes. Great ideas and thanks for the feedback. I don't have to paint the shadows but thought that it would make a nice touch.
Cheers
John

 

[Paul Kernan]

I don't have any advice for you on this one. Sorry, mate. However, I saw two examples of forced light/shadow like this last year. Greg Di Franco has been experimenting with these effects for awhile and entered a piece last year (MMSI?) of Caesar moving from shadows into light with two Praetorian guards still in the shade. The shadow of the adjacent pillars cut across Caesar's chest, resulting in half the figure in light and half in shadow. I thought he carried the effect off brilliantly.

There was a second piece (entrant unknown) of a female warrior (fantasy 30mm) standing on the floor of a church with light streaming through a stained glass window. the general area was darker with the mutlicoloured effect of the glass casting the light across the floor and up the armoured leg of the figure.

 

[Einion]

I have painted the figures basically with over head light.

The shadow should fall under the figure then; it'll look very odd to viewers seeing the model in the round if there's a cast shadow but the corresponding side of the figure is lit normally.

Einion

 

[PJ Deluhery]

My solution for shadows on a base is to use pastels. Pick a dark gray or a black and place the shadow directly under the figure to seat it to the base.

If you are going to paint a cast shadow on a base, then I think this must be a an extension of the shading/highlighting on the figure. You'd have to have a light source from one side or it will look wrong. Overhead/halo lighting will produce a shadow directly under the figure and possibly a slight shadow in the front or back.

I'm not saying it can't be done, but I've never had success with painting rounds with a light source other than overhead lighting. I think it's possible to this carry off only if you have a light source that the viewer can see to explain the shading - e.g. someone carrying a torch or siting near a campfire or in a forced perspective situation where you can define the lighting.

 

[John Bowery]

Paul ~ Einion ~ Paul D,
Thanks for your comments.
Paul I too saw the knight in Chicago with the lit window and looked awesome.

Paul D. Thanks for your comment. Since the light source is overhead, I was thinking the shadow would be under the figure mostly , but since they have flowing capes I thought that the shadow might look neat.

Cheers
John