Shading digital art involves understanding light, shadow, and color to create depth and form. Here's a basic approach:
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Identify Your Light Source: Determine the direction and intensity of your light. This will dictate where shadows fall.
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Base Colors: Start with flat base colors for your subject.
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Core Shadow: Add the darkest areas of shadow where light cannot directly reach. Consider using a slightly desaturated and darker color than your base.
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Midtones: Introduce midtones that transition between the base color and the core shadow.
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Highlights: Apply highlights where the light directly hits the surface. These are typically lighter and more saturated than the base color.
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Bounce Light: Add subtle highlights in shadowed areas caused by reflected light, which is often on the opposite side of the light source.
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Blending: Use blending tools to smooth the transitions between shadows, midtones, and highlights for a more polished look.
Key Considerations:
- Color Choice: Shadows often have different hues than the base color.
- Saturation: Shadows are usually less saturated than areas in direct light.
- Hard vs. Soft Shadows: The hardness or softness of the shadows depends on the light source (e.g., direct sunlight creates hard shadows, while diffused light creates soft shadows).
