Reflective Color in Shadows

Often I see students reach for a tube of gray paint when they are describing shadows. What they don’t know is that shadows are where the most exciting color possibilities can be found. The illuminated area near an object reflects light into the shadows. This reflected light carries color with it. This is called reflected light.
To achieve a better understanding of shadows and reflected light, it can help if we can actually see it happen. I created the general shape of a building to demonstrate the point. Look at the photos of the building. I place the building on four different colored surfaces. Notice how the color of the shadows changed on the building, depending on the colored surface it is placed on. There are 2 kinds of shadows here (cast & form), and both are affected by reflected light. Click on the picture to enlarge so you can really see the shadows.

The best teacher is seeing it for yourself. On a sunny day go outside and explore shadows. The only time you will see gray shadows is on a overcast day, and the shadows are very faint. The only time I see gray shadows is when the object is sitting on a gray surface (i.e. a building in a parking lot).

So next time you are painting REALLY look at the shadows before you reach for a tube of gray paint.

Happy Painting!
Brenda