Please check out the video tutorial for bonus information.

 

Introduction

Today, we will look at storytelling with Light and Shadow, which can also be referred to as Light and Shade and Light and Dark, and all and more are correct.

 

We will be focusing on monochrome using black and a dark neutral color. So that we are simply looking at values. White light is the combination of all colors in the color spectrum. Black is the absence of color because to be black reflects no color at all.

 

Value is the quantity of light and dark that reflect without regard to color. Full color adds another dimension to the storytelling. If our storytelling is straightforward in black and white, adding color is like adding icing to the cake.

 

First, let's cover the basics. We have Direct Light- sunlight, moonlight, or artificial light, which can be strong or weak. We have Reflected, Light-which bounces off any smooth surface. Let's look at the sphere as an example and present all the light and shadow effects visible to the eye.

 

The High-Light is the plane positioned to reflect the light directly to the eye.

 

The Half-Light is the plane that sends fewer light rays to the eye. This creates our form shadows with planes that turn away from the light.

 

The Reflected Light is the light that bounces back to the sphere from the object on which it rests or any nearby things. ( I used the Oil Paint/Dry Gouache brush to create the reflected light.)

 

The Cast Shadow is darker and sharper closer to the sphere, then becomes lighter and softer when it is farther away.

 

The light source can be visible in the panel or outside the panel.

Values

Here is a value scale I created based on simple percentages of gray.

 

You can make your own value scale in two ways.

Create from scratch

1. Create a selection.

2. Use the color palette to choose the colors for the start and end of the gradient.

·The start color will be the primary drawing color.

·The end color will be the sub-drawing color.

3. Select the Gradient Tool and choose Foreground to Background.

4. Drag across your selection.

 

Use the Gradient Tool

1. Create a selection.

2. Select the Gradient Tool and choose Manga Gradient.

3. Drag across your selection.

4. This gradient goes to transparent, so use a white background if you want to create a value scale from this gradient

 

We will only be using black, white, and three values for this demonstration: light, mid-tone, and dark.

 

High-Light = Light.

Half-Light = Mid-tone.

Cast Shadow = Dark.

 

Because of mood, we will sometimes refer to these values differently than we would call them in our sphere sample.

Light Sources

Three kinds of light sources

 

1. The light source is visible in the panel, such as a candle or ceiling light.

2. Light sources are outside the panel, such as the moon, sun, streetlamps, etc.

3. Bounced light around in the shade. No dramatic contrasts.

 

Light Positions

The most common directions that people are used to are top, left, and right directions. The bottom is not something we see often and is unsettling to us. That's why it works so well in horror movies.

TEN WAYS TO USE LIGHT AND SHADOW

1. Trapped

 

Light and Shadow for storytelling go hand-in-hand with your panel's composition and camera angles. Here we have two characters talking. Nothing exciting or dramatic here. There are some guidelines here to orientate you to the perspective

Let's get rid of those.

Add a Mid-tone Shadow at an angle. Getting better. She's framed by the shadow; does this mean she has bad intentions? The mystery is created in the reader's mind. But what about the other character in the scene?

Now we've added stairs as a foreground element and placed it in Dark Shadow. The story becomes clearer, even without the dialog to nail it down. The dark stair railing seems to trap the character by framing him. Is he feeling trapped by her accusations or questions? We created a compelling storytelling scene without any expressions from the characters. Of course, we want the characters to feel alive, so don't neglect expressions.

The scene could still use more drama. Let's add some cast shadows to frame the figures, and now we have the characters' faces nicely framed by their shadows, and we've raised the scene's dramatic impact.

Now just look at another two-character set-up and how changes in the light and shadow tell different stories.

2. Uncertainty

Having only her eyes exposed and him in shadow help to create a sense of fear and uncertainty in the scene.

3. Suspense

Bottom lighting creates suspense as the reader knows something about the man in the back that she doesn't know. He's dangerous.

4. Evil

This top-down light on the man makes him look evil. Or at least angry.

5. Mysterious

Or maybe she does know something? Her face is in shadow, so we don't know what she thinks about the situation.

6.Dangerous

Instead of the shadow blocking out details, we see her face. Maybe it's the guy who's in trouble here?

7. Contemplative

Vermeer Lighting is a combination. It is light coming through a window from an external unseen source, which is soft and works great against a dark background.

 

Vermeer Lighting is soft during the day and gives a mysterious, dramatic effect at night.

8. Crazy or Conflicted?

Women with a gun.

We see she has bad intentions.

With some bottom lighting, you can see if she is crazy and enjoying it.

Here we can't see her emotions when her face is in shadow. Is she conflicted, angry, or sad about what she's doing? You use lighting to decide which tells the story better. Keeping the reader wondering or feeding them the information?

9. Threatening

Don't be afraid to let your figures become lost in the shadows. Some cartoonists seem to avoid merging shadows and want everything to be separate from the background. Which looks more mysterious or threatening? The panel with the white outline or the one without?

10. Dominate

You want the reader's eye to go to the dominant character in your panel.

 

With only line art, the man may dominate because he's taller, and see him first if you read from left to right.

Now add shadow from the light source outside the panel to the left. The woman now dominates because her face is angled toward the reader, and she has better lighting. It could be argued that the man is scarier now.

Now let's add a secondary light outside the panel, right. Seeing the man's eyes looking at her reinforces to the reader that we should be looking at the female. Whether the reader is from Western or Eastern culture, they will look at the woman first. Keep this trick in mind to guide the reader's eye by giving a better angle and better lighting to the dominant character in your scene.

 

You can use the 3D models in Clip Studio Paint to try different lighting set-ups.

Observation

How do you start to see Light and Shadow so it will be helpful to you and your drawing of comics manga? You make yourself observe what is going on around you every day. Carry a sketchbook and draw what you see. Use your phone to capture or record it. Don't just look. Start to see what is going on around you in nature with the lights and shadows.

 

You can also archive frames from paintings and movies onto your computer. There are lots of paintings, films, commercials, and music videos for you to analyze. What do I mean by analyze?.

 

How intense or soft is the light? How do the shadows fall? Are they a framing device? Are they defining a form? While analyzing paintings, movies, commercials, and music videos, these are some of your questions.

Art and text copyright 2022 H. Simpson

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