[Frost]

Hello Sightx.

Well, this may seem primitive, but let me explain what goes through my head when I shade and paint, hoping it will mean something to you.

First, decide where the light or lights are situated in 3D space -- behind, in front, up, down, etc. When you have a clear idea in your head where the lighting should be, it's only a matter of applying it to the picture.

Imagine rays of light as being simply lines that shoot light FROM the lightsource going OUTWARDS, like ripples in a pond, shooting from one single point, expanding outwards in all directions.

When applying light to an object, imagine the ray of light, travelling in a straight line from the light to the surface you are lighting. If the ray of light intersects another object on the way, then the ray is intercepted and the light stops there, and anything beyond that point on that line is shadowed from the effect of this light.

Gradients appear when the ray of light becomes closer to being parrallel to the surface. Light affects a surface most when the the ray of light hits the surface head on, when the ray is perpendicular to the surface. Between perpendicular and parrallel intersections is where you get the gradients, which depend on the type of light and the type of material you are lighting. The grainer the material/surface is the more diffused the gradient will be, the smoother the surface the harder the gradient will be. Like I said, this is also very dependant on the type of light.

It would be nice if others could chip in if you have any explanations or refinements on what I wrote.

frost.


[This message has been edited by Frost (edited April 03, 2000).]

Sometimes I wonder if people ever read the things I take effort in writing for the sake of others...

[This message has been edited by Frost (edited April 03, 2000).]

[Daedalus IIIrd]

Frost's post pretty much covers everything, but I guess a more simplified example would just be to say, choose your light source(s), and anything blocking that light casts a shadow.

The larger and more dominant an object is, the darker and longer the shadow cast is.

[SightX]

I can't get the shading for the life of me. If anyone has any Sage words of advice for me......I am alllll ears....please. *sigh*, here it is.....

http://www.cs.cuc.edu/~smcphers/images/hopecolor.jpg

------------------
- NSM - SightX

[This message has been edited by SightX (edited April 03, 2000).]