How to Draw & Shade Objects with a Light Source Behind Viewer with the Following Drawing & Shading Lesson

A STUDIO LIGHT BEHIND THE SPECTATOR.

Effect is a mass of light.

Figure 10 represents the same group placed in a studio and lighted by a window directly behind the spectator. This light causes the.visible surfaces of the objects to be light surfaces and the effect of the whole group to be that of a mass of light, for the cast shadows are behind the group and are largely invisible. The objects are distinguished from each other by slight differences in value, and the gradations of tone upon any one are very delicate. The cone, cylinder, and sphere each have a glitter point or line. These lights are upon the nearest parts of all the solids, and from them there is a tone which gradually increases in strength towards the contours. The plinth also has a part which is lighter than any other part of its surface ; but high lights are seldom found upon polyhedrons, even when their surfaces are polished, for in order to glitter a plane surface must as a whole reflect the light directly towards the eye.

Little contrast of light with shadow.

The visible cast shadows are small in Fig. 10, and are always small when the light is behind the spectator, unless they are cast by parts which overhang and cause cast shadows to fall upon the visible light surfaces. There is
also seldom the contrast of a light surface with a shadow surface, and therefore in general very little contrast of light and dark.

Effects too difficult for students.

This position of the light is not suitable for students. It requires the ability of an artist to represent solidity and atmosphere by the delicate gradations given by a light behind the artist, no matter whether the light be that of a studio, sunlight, or any other light.

Contrasts are largely due to color.

The principal contrasts of light and dark with this light are generally due more to contrasts of local color than to contrasts of light and shade. The processes employed to make the illustrations do not give the fine contrasts of the light, the glitter light, and the more delicate gradations which the student must observe by study of nature. In this case the pencil is the only dark object in the group and the only one which shows the glitter light.

Objects reflect strongly in the foreground.

The reflected light from the end of the cylinder to the foreground is so strong that even on the rough paper it gives a clear reflection of the edge of the cylinder. The cast shadow of the camera fell upon the foreground and darkened it ; were it not for this shadow, the nearest part of the foreground would be the lightest.