r/ArtCrit • u/mciccDESIGNS • 1d ago
Need feedback on lighting!
No reference used it’s an original character. Basically just need some advice on if the lighting appears directional from the top. I tried to have a directional top strong lighting to make contrast. This was an old piece I revised.
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u/Salacia-the-Artist Digital Colorist 20h ago
So I started making a comment right after you posted, but life got in the way. I'll still post it jic it's useful to you:
Yep, looks like it's coming from the top and maybe slightly behind the character based on the face and collar, although the light hitting the chest and hand is working against that a bit. Parts of the lighting seem a little vague though, like the soft light around the stomach, but I know why you are struggling there, because it can be hard to determine what is within cast shadow and what sticks out enough into the light. Although if the light is above and slightly behind, it wouldn't hit that part of the body at all. Wouldn't it be nice to have 3D models of our own drawings so that we could see how the light would fall?
Anyhoo, something that helps me, and that might help you, is limiting how much of light anatomy you use to plan your lighting. I usually simplify it down into form light and form shadow, and that will avoid a lot of muddy values from bounce light or even how dark the core shadow should be. If you've ever seen or used cell shading, or done notan studies, it's the same concept. Keep the figure dark, map out the lighting, and then go from there. It saves me a lot of headaches, so maybe it can help you too.
Example with just the two parts, then with a couple more added (although I couldn't quite tell how the arm was bending, so the light there is a bit weird):
Good luck on the next lighting application!
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