More about my last post

I am pretty happy to answer all the questions I've been receiving about my workshop. Thank you guys!
Today, I was thinking about some comments/questions Liz Steel did.
I thought it would be good to make a post about it. This subject turned out to be very interesting.
So, let's talk about that. I apologize to repeat the same images as posted before.
This is Liz's comment:
"I found your comments about the tone in the shadows very interesting. I have a tendency to make my shadows too dark so I am trying to put more reflected light in my shadows. How you adjusted your sketch and the photoshop trick is very helpful."

That sketch was a very, very intriguing task to do. That was because of the reflected light. Take a look at the picture bellow.

At the time, I had to go back and forth on the tones of the cast shadow, as it seemed to be much lighter than usual (probably because of the bright sun in Bahia, as well as the brightness of the ground).

Now, looking at the image through Photoshop again, I’ve just realized that the brightest color inside the cast shadow is darker than the darker color on the illuminated areas of the wall. I’ve read about this before (David Leffel) and this is making a lot more sense for me now .

Take a look at the image. It’s impressive, isn’t it?

Another important aspect of it is that, we must treat the cast shadow as a whole. By adding an extra layer of grey over the cast shadow (as mentioned in my last post) I was able to bring the masses all together.

I’ve also learnt that we have to be careful about shocking contrasts, when making use of painterly painting concept and be aware of assumptions such as: “oh, look at those white stains in the wall! White shall they be!” (check the image again: the white stains over the shadows are actually grey!).

Another thing to be considered is the transition between shadows and bright surfaces:

As the cast shadow approaches the lighter areas its tones get warmer.

See the image bellow. That's something I will explore more in the future.

How wet/dry are your markers?

I like to have markers in different conditions:

• New ones: which are good to cover the main areas, and to work wet-on-wet;
• Old ones, which are good to create texture.

When laying over the first ‘washes’ I like to be flexible – so I try to keep the tones as light as I can. Anyways, the amount of pigment depends on the pace you work. In the pictures bellow, I worked fast and used older markers.

Well, I hope I've helped you!

I'm planning a post about my gear, following a question which Luis Aparicio made and also inspired by Liz.

Abraços!!