Prepare to Draw chapter 4
LIGHT YOUR SUBJECT
Lighting is an important factor in
drawing. Obviously, it is only with
light that you can see and only with
light that you can draw. Light reveals
the form, or structure, of an object.
Here, you consider two different light-
ing setups.
The different types of lighting are dis-
cussed in Chapter 3. Now, you can
decide on the appropriate lighting for
your situation. Here, a spotlight is
pointed at the still life setup. It cre-
ates a strong sense of light and
shadow. This dramatic light is very
good for a beginner because each
object is defined by its own shadow,
as well as shadows from other
objects. It is easy to see a jigsaw
arrangement of light and shadow
when the light is strong.
This scene is lit by light coming
through a window. As you can see, it
is a very soft light that simply filters
over the objects. It is a directional
light because it is coming through the
window. However, the window is a
lot larger than the metal frame of the
spotlight. Consequently, the light isn’t
as concentrated as it was in the previ-
ous example. This light presents a
more difficult situation for a beginner.
It is simply not as easy to see the
structure of the objects when the light
is softer.