Basic Rendering Techniques, Continued
Light
Light, shade, and shadow make drawings more realistic. But shading, no
matter how well done, will not improve poorly constructed forms. Light,
shade, and shadow are affected by two types of light: artificial and natural
(outdoor) light. You can control artificial light, but not natural light. The
edges of light and dark areas follow the contour of surfaces or planes of
objects. If light emanates from more than one source, make sure the
highlights and shadows are consistent for each object in the drawing.
Tone
Tone is the natural color of an object as compared to its surroundings. Tone
separates objects from items around it. If you draw an object using only its
local tone, the drawing would appear flat and without form. Consider how
light or dark the color of an object is in relation to the colors of things
nearby. Evaluate the tone of an object based on one of these four tone
patterns: light against dark, dark against light, halftone and dark against
light, and light and dark against halftone. Separate tones of objects into tonal
values.
Figure 3-25 shows a cube in local tone.
Figure 3-25.—A cube in local tone.
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