Need Some Help~

[Isollde]

Alright so I'm working on a new piece, and well, I'm stuck ~.~;. I really hate messing with lighting and shadows but I know it's kinda needed to make shit look good.

So, here is what I have so far:

Spoiler:

I have circled the two parts giving me trouble. The wyvern, and the Polearm. I'm not really sure how to do the shadows for these two. Light is coming from the top, which is fairly obvious. I added some extra lighting on the Wyvern to brighten him up. I know essentially that his shadows should be underneath him as long as his wingspan, and the the Polearm shadow would be along that rock that it's leaning on.

I'm just really unsure as to how to go about these. ~.~;

My character's shadow isn't finished yet, but I've more or less figured hers out.

Any help, or suggestions would be appreciated. TY! ^^;

 

[Isollde]

bump D:

 

[Morwen]

Ok, here is how I see it, and this is just my opinion:

Spoiler:

Now, obviously, the yellow represents where the shadow would cast imo. When light is coming from above (noon for example) the shadow gets smaller. Now, on the staff of the polearm, the shadow casts down along the rock but meets with it at the point where it rests. Thats fairly obvious. But when you get to the blade, since the light is from above, the shadow the blade casts is smaller. Try taking a rake outside at noon and leaning it against something, you'll see what I mean. Since the lightsource is from above and the object isn't really that tilted, you're not going to see that much of a shadow at all. It may not even be as pronounced as I have it in my example.

Wyvern: Have you ever seen a birds shadow as it flew at high light? It gets rather small, because light can bend around it (sort of). The higher up you get, the less of an obstacle you are against the surface you're covering and therefore the shadow you cast is smaller. Now, its pretty dark there now, but I would assume when its finished you'd see more of a substantial shadow over water. Shadows on water dont show up very well either because of all the light reflected through it. If its a mirror image you're worried about, I know you should just flip and distort it (I know you know that too). The shadow that it casts on the water shouldn't be heavy. Extremely translucent (again, water reflecting light, etc.) and smaller than the object itself.

Did that make sense? I hope so.

 

[Isollde]

Ya really think that his shadows would be in the water? I was thinking it would more then likely be along the rock.

 

[Morwen]

The only reason shadows reflect more in pools (like swimming pools) is because the bottom supports the lack of light. If the shadow of the Wyvern is going to be back along the rocks, is it indirect lighting or am I not seeing rocks underneath him? My monitor at work is shitty.

 

[Misi]

Try using the dodge and burn tool on multiple layers, maybe find a forest leafy photo to use as a burn or lighting overlay on one of the layers a duplicate of the dragon and weapon is on.

 

[hellstorm]

question if the light coming from above wouldn't there be a glare on the spear as well? Also if the reflection was in the water wouldn't there be a reflection of the waterfall, and even if not with current that fast would the water be even calm enough to see a reflection. If there is would assume look something similar to this.

juging by this and accounting for hight difference shadow be on bottom rock with reflection either directly blow or a bit infront of it

 

[Anttaru]

I think some of that background is airbrushed. Some of it was composited, or compacted if you will. A modified image. That water fall isn't too bad but that and the water doesn't look as read as the rocks.

The shadows for the Wyvern would be on the rocks, but if it were to cast a shadow on the waters surface, then the shadow will have to be really faint and distorted from that distance. It takes a lot of light to project a shadow on waters surface it it looks very shaded down there.

That is a very challenging thing to intergrate. The character looks cell shaded compared to the environment. Probably dim her down and focus on shading her more than shadow casting.