Post by Lillias on Feb 10, 2020 16:32:14 GMT
I was discussing shadows with a friend a while back and saying that shadows are important in scrapbooking. They can bring a page to life whereas without them a page can look very flat and less interesting.
The discussion brought out the fact that there are different kinds of shadow and also that the usual rules for light and shadows can ‘to an extent’ be set aside in digital scrapbooking.
Take for example my living room. There is a window through which light comes, there is a doorway which also allows light to enter the room and I have two lamps in different areas of the room so there you have several light sources all contributing to casting shadows in different directions at the same time.
Shadows are really a subject all on their own. Here (for what they are worth) are a few thoughts which I’ve gleaned over the years since being introduced to the wonderful world of Digital Scrapping.
Firstly you have to remember that not everything on your page needs a shadow.
For example if you saw a splash of paint or a piece of writing on an actual page – neither would have a shadow. But an object lying on something would cast a shadow, and so on the page it requires a shadow added in order to be realistic and give some life to the page. This is where you have to think about the type of shadow.
Sometimes the drop shadows provided in PSE are just fine and all that’s required but sometimes you need something more. To achieve that a little work has to be done.
I’m thinking in terms of say a ribbon embellishment or branches with leaves or a length of string eg: In other words items which when laid on a flat surface are undulating – therefore casting a different shadow than something which lies perfectly flat on a flat surface. Another thing to keep in mind is that shadows are never ‘truly black’ in real life. They are usually a muted shade.
Shadows can also indicate the distance an item is to a surface. I have provided two example pages below with explanations.
The first page showing shadows gives the examples of distance and opacity and
the second page shows how realistic shadows can better show an undulating object by illustrating how parts of the object touch the page while parts do not.
My 1st example uses a butterfly from Anna Aspnes’s Artplay Scenic kit.
My 2nd example uses a Ribbon from Didine’s Azurean Style kit, I’m sorry I forget where I got the leaves from.
I don’t claim to be an expert in this field. So take this for what it’s worth to you and hopefully it will be of some help to someone.
