What better time to write about shadows than now, approaching Groundhog Day! As we wonder whether the groundhog will see his shadow, I am thinking about shadows in my paintings. Sometimes it is a struggle to get shadow shapes and colors correct.
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| (c) Peggi Kroll Roberts |
One issue is that a shadow varies in intensity. The "core" of a shadow tends to be very dark, but the edges tend to be lighter. Or, as Leonardo da Vinci said more poetically:
"The beginnings and ends of shadow lie between the light and darkness".
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| (c) Peggi Kroll Roberts |
That said, the cast shadow can be the artist's best friend. It helps define the object that is casting the shadow. And it anchors the object to the ground. Take a look at the paintings above by Peggi Kroll Roberts. The cast shadow is as just important as the person casting it! (Sorry for poor color quality in the second painting--my fault!)
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| (c) Karin Jurik |
For an illustration of the power of the cast shadow, we need look no farther than the painting above, featuring the bicycle shadow. Fun! Can you imagine this painting without the cast shadow? Stay tuned for more on shadows...there are more mysteries to plumb here!
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