Highlighting, Lighting, Shading, Etc. On Non Figure Models; A Question.

[Chris '75]

One of the things that interested me in developing my figure painting and got me lurking here was to learn some new skills that I could apply to my more familiar areas of modeling (aircraft/armor). Since lurking I've seen some truly amazing work, some of the most impressive and 'surprising' (for want of a better term) are some of your subjects that show ambient lighting on the subject (off the top of my head, one gentleman did a pirate holding a lantern near his face and the lighting was simply phenomenal; or a character with a glowing sword and the glow being shown on the figure's person).

These subjects in particular have recently got me thinking, why don't we - or is it possible to - apply this concept more frequently on other, non figure, subjects? I imagine many of you also model in other areas, but even if not, maybe you can shed some light (pun intended) on the question anyway.

For example, a 1/35 Armor subject in a diorama with 1/35 figures. The figures are going to be shaded/highlight with whatever lighting effects the modeler puts in. In doing so, the adept painter will determine light source(s) and paint accordingly...

But let's say you want to depict an early morning/late afternoon scene, with that golden glow that the sun gives every surface it hits at these times of day as a tool to indicate this, as an extreme example. This "golden glow" is going to apply to the figures, armor and structures in the diorama equally.

To me it would seem easy enough - provided your color mixing/choosing skills are up for it - to replicate this on, lets just say, the tank. Sun facing sides get an appropriate highlight of the surface/golden sun color, sides are more or less as normal, and a noticeable deeper shade for the non sun facing sides. To go a step further, the tank (as well as every other free standing object in the scene) is going to cast a noticeable shadow on the ground... again, it would seem to me that this would be easily replicated by "shadowing" the appropriately outlined area. I can't ever remember seeing a model/diorama where the scale shadow was painted in (not saying they're not out there though).

So, if you'll forgive my lack of brevity (not my strongest trait ) in asking the question, but as figure painters - who I would say it is arguable are the lighting/shading masters of the modelling world, what are your thoughts on this? Is this feasible? Are guys out there doing this already and I just haven't noticed? If not, why not? What are the obstacles? Does it not look right? Etc... etc... ?

 

[housecarl]

Here's some examples of what I think you mean.
Or it could be object sourced lighting.
Carl.

 

[Einion]

Is this feasible?Are guys out there doing this already and I just haven't noticed?

Yes it's feasible and yes there are guys out there who have done it. Greg DiFranco is the best example I can think of when it comes to what you might call scene lighting, although I don't know how often he's depicted cast shadows, but definitely yes on the mixed lighting (e.g. sunlight on one side).

I have seen cast shadows depicted once or twice - the figure's shadow thrown on the ground or a wall - but not often, probably for the reasons below.

What are the obstacles?

It's harder to do than it looks, which is one reason you'll tend to see it only attempted by high-end painters and only on occasion. I think is appropriate not to do it too frequently as with an 'special effect' paint effect it shouldn't be overused.

Although it's lessened a little by how well it's executed, this kind of effect can look a little odd on round figures where the viewer can look at the model from any angle, similarly to painted catchlights and other OSL-type lighting.

Einion

 

[Ferris]

Interesting questions Chris.

What helps figure painters in the highlighting and shading business is, in my opinion, that we can adhere to certain schemes, such as the zenithal lighting scheme, with light assumed to come from above. On a figure painted this way the natural lights and shades coincide with the painted ones, which gives pleasant "aesthetics". Hold a figure upside down and I always think it looks ugly.
A lighting scheme with the source NOT coming from above makes things much more difficult, which is why not too many of us can pull it off.

What makes life difficult for tanks and dioramas is that you can use a much wider range of viewing angles for the scene. So any painted lighting effect more readily conflicts with natural lighting.
Having said that, lighting effects are actually applied in tank building. It's called the Modulation effect and it entails highlighting the top parts of the vehicle, with darker tones on lower parts. It helps to make things more 3D, but requires considerable skill to do it right.

I have thought about applying a sunset glow to a diorama, but have not yet dared to do it. One impressive example I know is by French modeler JBA. He makes small dioramas with particular lighting effects. Quite impressive.

Easiest way to do lighting direction tricks in dioramas is, IMHO, is to build boxed ones. Here the view angle is forced and you can apply whatever effect you want without natural light interfering.

Nice to ponder this subject and you have triggered some ideas (for which I don't have time, but that aside...).

Cheers,
Adrian

 

[Mirofsoft]

I will join Ferris in this
The best lights effects I have ever seen were allways in boxed diorama like you can see in S Payne works
http://www.boxdioramas.com/
the very first picture you see speak by itself
Or dare to paint something like vignette at a camp fire, all the figures back to you in front of the fire are painted deep black with delimitation of orange at the edge ( left or right ), and the figures facing you and facing the fire painted with lot of oranges hues . I have seen that done with flats and it was amazing, even in normal light .
The difficulty is that if you want your figure, vignette, diorama etc... to be seen, is that you need to turn the light on, or see them in day time . The kind of light; position, power, amount of sources for artificial, will change everything . In day time, as for natural colour, it will be affected by hour of the day, winter, summer..., sunny, covered, half covered, in Kalahari, in North Sweden or .... etc...
So you must know first where you are going to show your work, in which condition and paint accordingly, keeping in mind that at a compettion the light will be completely different .
Peek conditions are , Boxed with internal light with no external light at all .
For the rest we must do our best

 

[Mirofsoft]

And here a very good illustration on the subbject
http://www.lugdunum-figurines.com/site/IMG/jpg/Olfo_et_sa_lanterne.jpg