How to Study Light & Shadow with Todd M. Casey

If you’re interested in creating form in your work, value is where it’s at.

Value is the the light and dark of your subjects.

Which means to understand value, you need to understand how light hits and then changes as it moves around an object.

You might reach for a photo to teach you.

But hold on a minute. There’s a better way. While photographs aren’t a terrible option mostly… when it comes to really understanding light and dark, Todd M. Casey, Ep.24 suggests you skip the photos and head straight to your own still life set up.

Here’s why:

First, photos lie. They make shadows flat and uninteresting.

On the other end, they don’t capture the glow of the light.

Second, you can’t walk around a photo and understand how light is truly interacting between objects.

Seeing and understanding this interaction it is critical if your goal as an artist is to render something representationally. ⁠
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Put it to Practice:
If you’re new to light and shadow, set up a photoshoot. Do this separately from a painting so that there’s no rush. Your main goal is to just notice what’s happening with light and shadows.

Plan your photoshoot at night or in a room that can get dark. This way you can control the light, which is important.

Now, set up a very very simple scene. Maybe a single piece of fruit or a cup. After you set up your simple scene, use one light aiming from the side. 

Walk around your subject. Notice how the light wraps around the object and how the shadow emerges. 

How does it all change if you move the angle  or how close the light sits? Do some sketching as a way to begin translating what you see into the 2-dimensional world of art.

Now, add another cup or a book. Build a little complexity and just really notice how light and dark are in play. 

Here’s an added bonus to studying from life: If and when you need to use photos, you’ll start to catch where they are lying. You’ll be able to fill in the gaps with your own knowledge and make your form more realistic.