Week 3

Light and Shadow

This week we were given a task that challenged our understanding of light and shadow in perspective. We were given three objects to draw as per their references images and we had to cast a light source above them as per the descriptions for each and based on this draw their shadows in perspective too.

the chair in two point perspective and a strong shadow

I initially found the brief simple since I had previously drawn these objects in perspective although once I showed them to my tutor he pointed out a few fundamental errors in the structure that I didn’t realize I made based on the fact I drew them digitally.

I made note of his inputs and this time implemented them in my redrawing of the objects using pencil and paper. I found that I understood structure better and was able to construct the lines in perspective far more easily as I wasn’t concerned with the final image looking presentable and rather with the gaining confidence in the process.

first attempt at the table

The first object was a long table that required to have shadows casted from three strong light sources. I was able to place my three strong light sources above the object where the lines touched the edges of the table and that way converged with each other mid point forming the points at which the shadows lengthened. The shadows began from the base of the table legs and stretched to the point that light source’s vanishing points ended on the ground. This part of my drawing was mostly alright however I didn’t understand how the shadows themselves would be filled in, which is why I shaded them as the sides of the object were.

second attempt at the table

My second attempt at this was closer to being correct as this time the shadows that did overlap were darker and they were all filled in. I received positive feedback on it except for the fact I hadn’t drawn vanishing points for the shadows themselves

which should be from the base of the object below the light source and behind the object. The reason mine were missing is because I didn’t know where to place it since mine.

first attempt at the chair

The second object here was a chair lit by 11 am bright sunshine casting one hard shadow. I found this one a bit simple based on the fact it was only one light source therefore their were no converging points,

second attempt at the chair

however I still drew it twice because I found identifying the shape of the shadow itself difficult to identify. Although I was told my second attempt was mostly accurate and was believable.

attempt at the table

The third one was indeed the hardest because we had to last a long shadow from the point of view of a low laying sun. The object itself meant the shape of the shadow had to be spherical and had many curves. I found the planes confusing to draw in perspective. I did attempt it either way even though it ended up looking like a sad blob.

Visual Development

After this exercise we were given a presentation on Visual Development. The basis of this is to primarily design the look and feel of a composition but not get too technical with it, in a way the story point is conveyed through proper research of the environment we want to bring to audiences.

Art by Nathan Fowkes for Disney's Raya and The Last Dragon

The elements that convey this are-

• Angle – The angle a scene is portrayed in which gives us an idea of the point of view.

• Framing- The way the background is cropped to only include necessary elements.

• Scale- The scale which helps us understand the tone and setting by placing figures beside structures to showcase height and depth.

• Lighting- The lighting of a scene is crucial to tell a story by setting the mood of an atmosphere.

• Size and distance relationship- The size and distance relationship is related to the scale and perspective which guide the viewer towards the main points of the composition.

A way drama is added to the composition is by playing around with these elements so the viewer is placed in a vulnerable position having to face a threat above them. A point I made note of is that concept art is first and foremost artwork. I need to remember I’m not just drawing a technical picture but creating an environment that acts as a stage for an incoming point of action. This involves not getting lost in detail, understanding that scale and perspective should be believable by first clearly defining what I want to communicate in writing and research. By keeping these points in mind it is possible to give personality even to the ordinary.

Blender Tutorial

Once I revisited my eyeball and went back in to continue with my iris that required to at this stage be unwrapped by a method called UV unwrapping. In this we essentially selected the entire shape and Blender would unfold it like paper so we could align it to the materials that needed to be added in the next session.

the broken mesh of the iris in edit mode

Since there were issues in my initial shape the unwrapped version ended up looking more like snake skin which was disturbing and enough of an indicator, I would have to remodel the iris by going into a previous saved version, from the point I made the loop cut on my cornea.

the UV unwrapping of the iris

the iris and cornea selected in object mode

The broken iris within the cornea where

the edge loop was visible in uneven vertices through the shape in object mode.