How to use light to create mood and tell a story.

Today we'll be covering how to turn your knowledge of lighting into a finished illustration.

We'll be covering the following:

• What is our story?

• What kind of mood do we want?

• Basics of lighting and their general purpose uses

• How to effectively portray our story/character through mood using lighting

• 1 Demo Scenario (Character focused portrait)

Applies to:

• Webcomics

• Animation

• Game Art

• Character Design

• Illustration

What is our story?

I think an important key that people often seem to gloss over is the fact that every image has a story it wants to convey. Even if you only care about aesthetics, you want your character to be seen in a certain perspective.

 

Determining what we want our image to say, is something we should think about before or during the process of the image. Some people like to have a plan, and others just wing it freestyle.

 

For instance, a portrait will showcase a character. Who are they? What is their purpose? Are they seen as the hero, or are they portrayed as the villain? Are they innocent or guilty? These are questions only you can answer, and once you do, it'll make it easier to adapt your lighting to fit the mood you wish to capture.

What kind of mood do we want?

Again, this is down to who your character is, or what your scene is about. Think about whether you want this image to feel scary, happy, cheeky, or even just neutral.

 

If your character is evil then you probably want to display their sinister side, rather then place them in a more bright scene. This is up to you however, characters have different sides to them and they aren't just linear and void of emotion (but they also can be depending on the character). So, this is where you get to play the cards, and choose whatever path you feel works.

Lighting Breakdown:

In order to understand how to effectively portray our character through different lighting situations we must break down the possibilities that are available. Of course, these are just the basics and most used, you have the freedom to play around and work with light however you wish once you learn the fundamental applications. Lighting can be fun, so enjoy the process.

Possible Light Sources:

Key light = Our main light source

 

Secondary light Source = Usually Ambient Light/Other

 

Reflective light = Light that is reflected, can be from the direct light source, shiny objects or even the environment around you

 

Backlight = Usually a form of bringing the character forward against the background. E.g. Sun or bright light source. You'll see this used a lot in movies.

Lighting Effect:

Hard Light (e.g. sun/lamp)

Diffused Light (ambient, sky, candle)

Different lighting situations and their most used application:

Lighting from above character (Usually a nice even scene. Light, playful, happy, neutral mood.)

 

Lighting from below character (This is more dramatic, more sinister and is usually reserved for horror, thriller or creepy scenes.)

 

Lighting side of character (This makes the scene have more character, also adding a dramatic feel but not too intense. Helps the 3D effect and can be pleasing to the eye.)

 

Lighting from the back of character (The artists most infamous lighting trick. We use this to bring the character forward against the background, you'll see it a lot in movies even when the lighting wouldn't necessarily make sense. But this is art, we do what looks good!)

 

Lighting in front of the character (This lights up the face the most, creating an impactful and intense read depending how you use it. It can also just be a nice overall lighting situation in my opinion.)

Resources to learn how light works:

• Youtube tutorials (or other online platforms/books etc)

• Using a 3d Model/or IRL Model to get a basic idea

Character Example:

Lets use the concepts we went over to review everything, and apply it directly to a possible Illustration.

What is our story?

 

The image will feature one of my Original Characters Zmey, who is the antagonist of the story. She is a dragon queen like figure in human form, that is elegant, motherly, and sinister in nature. She's pretty emotionless due to traumatic experiences in her past, shaping who she is today.. and shes out for vengeance.

 

(We probably don't need to go that in detail, but if you have a backstory for your character it should help you. Otherwise, a simple breakdown of 'This is Miko, she is a happy anime girl' might just be enough if thats what you're going for.)

What mood do I want to capture?

 

I want it to showcase her dark nature, but also provide an elegant read. So Aesthetic with a slightly sinister vibe, to enote her nature.

Lets determine our lighting:

 

Ideally you could determine your lighting beforehand and have a plan or you can try a few different lighting situations to see what you prefer.

 

Note: You can use reference to help you look for a lighting situation you desire.

Demo

I wanted my key light to be coming from the bottom side to create a slightly dramatic effect, maybe some sort of magical fire being cast in front of her.

 

And I also felt she needed some backlighting to bring her forward from the background, so I ended up placing her into a scene with an open environment to make that feel plausible, while shes placed in some sort of closed area e.g. cave

 

There is ambient sky light coming from behind her, so the image will be tinted slightly blue.

 

I dont want my shadows to be too harsh, but I still want the lighting to have some sort of effect on her (So how you determine shadow is up to you)

 

(Another note: remember your style determines the way you light something too. If your style is more playful you may wish to opt for a cel shaded feel, if you want it more realistic, then you need to pay attention and study real people and scenarios.)

 

So thats the final image, I hope this was helpful in some way shape or form.

Thanks for reading! :)