Shadow Workshop 2024

[Jeni Simpson]

Shadow Workshop Lesson 2

Jeni

[Anja Pelzer]

day 2

 

[Euka]

Driving home today through the bush with all the wattle out reminded me of some 'tiles' I had experimented with many years ago (2006).  Using a wattle photo I had taken I played  around with different effects making small tiles (300x300px) - plaid, antique, enamel, fur, illumination, brush strokes, tiles, soft plastic straw, weave, wave, polished stone etc.  These tiles are what I have used here.  The shadow settings are those suggested in the tutorial.   I have these all saved as presets from the Basic Scrap course and are pretty much my go to shadow settings.  

[Linda J Walker]

Got a late start today. A week ago I had surgery, so today was the post-op appointment.

I don't think I have used a reverse shadow before. Photo is mine that I took at a local garden.

I had an extra layer in the file? You can see bit of the edge to the left of my photo, in the corner of the 2 papers. I should have nudged the layer so you couldn't see it, but I forgot about it.

Edited August 21 by Linda J Walker

[Carolyn Rye]

Lesson 2 had been another time to learn for me.  I have added an extra couple of items and hope I have done them ok.

[Sue Thomas]

Here is my lesson 2.  Shadow setting 8 8 60 8.  Reverse shadow  0 0 35 8.  Perhaps it's personal choice, but I don't like to make my shadows to heavy and to dark, especailly on  papers. As there is next to nothing in thickness in plain paper. On card stock and elements that is a different  thing all together. My preference is to lower the  depth and darkness. The colours of the papers also determine the settings I use. Is my thinking right or wrong?  I almost always  use the reverse shadow, to define  papers. 

[Susan Ewart]

1 hour ago, Euka said:

Driving home today through the bush with all the wattle out reminded me of some 'tiles' I had experimented with many years ago (2006).  Using a wattle photo I had taken I played  around with different effects making small tiles (300x300px) - plaid, antique, enamel, fur, illumination, brush strokes, tiles, soft plastic straw, weave, wave, polished stone etc.  These tiles are what I have used here.  The shadow settings are those suggested in the tutorial.   I have these all saved as presets from the Basic Scrap course and are pretty much my go to shadow settings.  

The Wattle is such an intense yellow. Your plaid is outstanding.   Tell me...do you see wombats often? I just started following a wombat rescue place on Facebook, they are absolutely adorable!

[Susan Ewart]

9 minutes ago, Sue Thomas said:

Here is my lesson 2.  Shadow setting 8 8 60 8.  Reverse shadow  0 0 35 8.  Perhaps it's personal choice, but I don't like to make my shadows to heavy and to dark, especailly on  papers. As there is next to nothing in thickness in plain paper. On card stock and elements that is a different  thing all together. My preference is to lower the  depth and darkness. The colours of the papers also determine the settings I use. Is my thinking right or wrong?  I almost always  use the reverse shadow, to define  papers. 

I have being using lower than normal settings lately too.  Seems like soon as it's a JPG it's way darker than I want.  I start with 0-0-80-10 on a reverse shadow but usually lower the opacity a lot, especially if it's on a light paper.  Your color palette is spot on (I know, you used the photo and that's why it's so cohesive, you are a master at that).  Robins always make me smile.  I am seeing some other points of view on shadowing and learning some good stuff...and we hardly even started yet.  

[Cassel]

Glad to see even more participants today! What a collection of assignments!

@Carolyn RyeYes, chalk should not have shadows as it has no thickness. Also, check the shadows for the sequins. It MIGHT be due to the resizing, but it looks like they are wider than they should. Those additional elements on the second assignment look like they do have appropriate shadows.

@Susan EwartYou are correct: a large offset will "separate" from a thin element so it would look like it is floating. That is a good observation and it is important because even with the "correct" settings, some elements will need you to tweak them in some situations. 

@Anja PelzerThe shadow was very small for the sequins so it was likely lost in the resizing. On the second project, are the shadows larger or is it just the fact that you resized to 700 instead of 600 that gives that impression?

@Michele Yes, I also noticed that the shadows are different on both photos, and it is the same for several other participants. The first time I saw it, I thought someone added a shadow twice, accidentally, but now, everyone has the same "mistake" so it is definitely due to the resizing.

@Euka It is ok to follow the tutorial to the letter. The important part is for you to understand why I use the settings I used so that next time, you can apply something similar.

@Chris Schults Shadows used in the Drop Shadow should always be black. The only time you will need to find the color from an element to add it as a Drop Shadow is if the light goes through colored glass. A blue button does not have a blue shadow (unless it is made of translucent glass). Look at the shadow from your hand onto a piece of paper. Is the shadow the same color as your skin? The appearance of a colored shadow is the combination of the black shadow at a lower opacity, showing the background color through. By the way, 296kb is larger than the 0.290MB. Very little, but it is still larger.

@Daniel HessI also think that as faint as a reverse shadow can be, it still makes a difference. Most people don't even notice it!

@Cristinathat reverse shadow turns a "flat" element into a real 3D one!

@Rene MarkerThat makes for a very colorful assignment. Did you use reverse shadows before?

@Jnet AllardYour shadows look good, although I suspect the "larger" shadow on the orange paper is only due to the resizing, right?

@Bonnie BallentineYou are correct: a few points more or less would not make a significant difference so it is ok if one changes them a little for their project. The idea is mostly to be "logical" in our tweaks.

@Ann SeeberThat is a fun collage.

@Marie-ClaireIt is ok to follow the exact same settings. Do they make sense to you?

@Mary SolaasHow do you feel about all those shadow settings?

@Julie MagerkaYou are correct. The doodles didn't need a shadow. Isn't that logical?

@Corrie Kinkel Those wavy lines COULD be replaced by actual ricrac ribbons. But you can replace any shape by any element. The important part is to understand how they need shadowing, and especially the paper elements when it comes to the reverse shadows.

@Donna SilliaThat is a lot of good practice for you.

@Susan EwartWe don't have to be this picky, in general. Right now, we are so focused on those shadows that we probably "see" them more than normally in an overall project.

@Gerry LandrethI suspect that during this workshop, we will often "overthink". Over time, shadows should become automatic. In the end, there is simple logic behind the settings. That is all that counts.

@fiona cookTranslucent elements are challenging to shadow. Here is a little trick: you can use similar settings, but divide the Opacity by about half. Translucent elements are only partially opaque AND light shines through it, which makes the shadow more faint.

@Sheila HoggAdding textures makes your assignment more interesting. Good work.

@Jeni SimpsonGood work. Do those shadows make sense so far?

@Linda J WalkerI don't see that extra layer on your image. What do you think of the reverse shadow?

@Sue ThomasYou are correct in your approach. The settings I give are only starting points, and assume a certain thickness of paper (scrapbook paper is usually thicker than writing paper) and if you adjust the settings based on the colors, it is the perfect tweak. Keep it up.

Keep it up. Tomorrow, we will play with shadows and distort them. Get ready!

[Sue Thomas]

1 hour ago, Susan Ewart said:

I have being using lower than normal settings lately too.  Seems like soon as it's a JPG it's way darker than I want.  I start with 0-0-80-10 on a reverse shadow but usually lower the opacity a lot, especially if it's on a light paper.  Your color palette is spot on (I know, you used the photo and that's why it's so cohesive, you are a master at that).  Robins always make me smile.  I am seeing some other points of view on shadowing and learning some good stuff...and we hardly even started yet.  

I really do think that over thinking creates more problems, especially when it comes to shadows. If it looks right and real go with it. Spend some time  outside observing shadows. The eye will educate the brain. In turn when creating shadows on a layout the brain will be able to  tell if it looks natural or not. Of course it is Carole who educates us in what tools and settings to use and how to  correctly apply them to a paper or element. Keen observation helps whether you are applying shadows, creating a colour palette or anything else to achieve a pleasing result.

Edited August 21 by Sue Thomas

[MoniqueN.]

Hi all,

 

I combined lesson 1 and 2 in one project. 🙂

Oops! I forgot to add a shadow to the string, but since I only saved it as png and jpg I can't change it, and do not want to it all over again.

For the top scrabble I used a setting as it was a washi tape, the bottom one was chalk, so I didn't add a shadow there.

Edited August 21 by MoniqueN.

[MoniqueN.]

Shadows I always thought were difficult (and still do to be honest, but when I hesitated so much I put a paper on a window sill and looked how the shadow was and later on thicker things like  a button and see what the shadow did. That way it made more sense, but sometimes I keep hesitating. So this workshop wil give me more confidence I hope.

What a great idea to show us what the shadows do on the blue spots in lesson one!  Why did I never think of that!

[MoniqueN.]

A thing I have been thinking about for a long time and as a question maybe silly but does a size of a shadow depend on which part of the world you're in? Because light can be different in different parts of the world?😎🙈😇

[Linda J Walker]

30 minutes ago, MoniqueN. said:

A thing I have been thinking about for a long time and as a question maybe silly but does a size of a shadow depend on which part of the world you're in? Because light can be different in different parts of the world?😎🙈😇

And the time of day, and the time of the year, shadows are different in these circumstances.

 

[Rene Marker]

9 hours ago, Cassel said:

@Rene MarkerThat makes for a very colorful assignment. Did you use reverse shadows before?

 

Yes, I do use reverse shadows on my layouts. Learned about them from a blog post and one of the master classes. I have 2 presets for them.  0-0-30-5 and 0-0-80-10. I tend to use the last one the most.

One of the times I use them is if I have a paper layer (say a scallop) on the bottom edge of the layout. Since it is right up at the edge a regular shadow doesn't show. So I give it a reverse just to add a little depth. Same for a paper layer that is at the edge of the right side of a layout. A regular shadow would show on the bottom of the paper but not on the right. The reverse shadow helps give it a little depth. Another way I use it is if I have a bunch of paper layers and some of them are to the left side but under other layers where the right side/bottom of the paper don't show. Reverse shadow again adds just a little depth to it.

[MoniqueN.]

45 minutes ago, Linda J Walker said:

And the time of day, and the time of the year, shadows are different in these circumstances.

 

Time of day etc. I know, but say 12 noon in Europe or Africa , would that be different was what I meant. 🙂

[Sue Thomas]

2 hours ago, MoniqueN. said:

A thing I have been thinking about for a long time and as a question maybe silly but does a size of a shadow depend on which part of the world you're in? Because light can be different in different parts of the world?😎🙈😇

It doesn't matter where you are in the world, shadows are created the same by the sun.  There are seasonal variations. In the northern hemisphere they move from west to east and point north at mid day.  In the southern hemisphere the shadow will point south.   Time of day can vary  a shadow greatly. From sunrise to sunset.  At mid day, there will be a shadow but it will be minimal, unlike at sunrise and set.  As the sun moves, so does the shadows. Shadows are constantly moving and changing thoughout the day. 

Edited August 21 by Sue Thomas

[Chris Schults]

11 minutes ago, Sue Thomas said:

It doesn't matter where you are in the world, shadows are created the same.  On the other hand the time of day can vary  a shadow greatly. From sunrise to sunset.  At mid day, there will be a shadow but it will be minimal, unlike at sunrise and set.  Shadows are constantly moving and changing thoughout the day.

It does matter a lot which place on the world you are. On the equator in the tropics shadows can be very small. When the sun is right above you there is a iny tiny bit shadow. 

[Sue Thomas]

3 minutes ago, Chris Schults said:

It does matter a lot which place on the world you are. On the equator in the tropics shadows can be very small. When the sun is right above you there is a iny tiny bit shadow. 

I agree! Admittedley the closer to the equator you  get  the less length of shadow you get, but there is still a shadow, no matter how minimal it is.   I do believe that for a few days of the year there aren't any shadows what so ever at the equator.

[Ann Seeber]

Lesson 3 - I did it two ways: the top one using cassel's script and the other by hand. I think I'll stick with the script!

[Rene Marker]

OK, Day 3 done. This is one area that I struggle with... the lifting of the photo or element or whatever. I've seen some great photo lifts on layouts in galleries but I just have never been able to do it. Practice makes perfect and I guess I just don't practice much. Admittedly, my style of layouts would look weird with lifted photos.

I used a basic shadow of 10-10-60-10 for the shadows. For the warp brush I used a push size of 800. For the feathering I used 90. The Gaussian Blur was set at 30. This is for both of the photos.

I then added a ribbon from a kit to try the lifting of the end. The drop shadow is 10-10-60-10. I lowered the push size to 600. I again used 90 for the feathering. Gaussian Blue was set at 40.

With the 2nd photo and the ribbon, I did have to move the shadow like Carole showed on the top edge.

I did it but there is lots of room for improvement!!!

[fiona cook]

Yes Ann, I may try the script as well.

[fiona cook]

12 hours ago, Cassel said:

Glad to see even more participants today! What a collection of assignments!

@Carolyn RyeYes, chalk should not have shadows as it has no thickness. Also, check the shadows for the sequins. It MIGHT be due to the resizing, but it looks like they are wider than they should. Those additional elements on the second assignment look like they do have appropriate shadows.

@Susan EwartYou are correct: a large offset will "separate" from a thin element so it would look like it is floating. That is a good observation and it is important because even with the "correct" settings, some elements will need you to tweak them in some situations. 

@Anja PelzerThe shadow was very small for the sequins so it was likely lost in the resizing. On the second project, are the shadows larger or is it just the fact that you resized to 700 instead of 600 that gives that impression?

@Michele Yes, I also noticed that the shadows are different on both photos, and it is the same for several other participants. The first time I saw it, I thought someone added a shadow twice, accidentally, but now, everyone has the same "mistake" so it is definitely due to the resizing.

@Euka It is ok to follow the tutorial to the letter. The important part is for you to understand why I use the settings I used so that next time, you can apply something similar.

@Chris Schults Shadows used in the Drop Shadow should always be black. The only time you will need to find the color from an element to add it as a Drop Shadow is if the light goes through colored glass. A blue button does not have a blue shadow (unless it is made of translucent glass). Look at the shadow from your hand onto a piece of paper. Is the shadow the same color as your skin? The appearance of a colored shadow is the combination of the black shadow at a lower opacity, showing the background color through. By the way, 296kb is larger than the 0.290MB. Very little, but it is still larger.

@Daniel HessI also think that as faint as a reverse shadow can be, it still makes a difference. Most people don't even notice it!

@Cristinathat reverse shadow turns a "flat" element into a real 3D one!

@Rene MarkerThat makes for a very colorful assignment. Did you use reverse shadows before?

@Jnet AllardYour shadows look good, although I suspect the "larger" shadow on the orange paper is only due to the resizing, right?

@Bonnie BallentineYou are correct: a few points more or less would not make a significant difference so it is ok if one changes them a little for their project. The idea is mostly to be "logical" in our tweaks.

@Ann SeeberThat is a fun collage.

@Marie-ClaireIt is ok to follow the exact same settings. Do they make sense to you?

@Mary SolaasHow do you feel about all those shadow settings?

@Julie MagerkaYou are correct. The doodles didn't need a shadow. Isn't that logical?

@Corrie Kinkel Those wavy lines COULD be replaced by actual ricrac ribbons. But you can replace any shape by any element. The important part is to understand how they need shadowing, and especially the paper elements when it comes to the reverse shadows.

@Donna SilliaThat is a lot of good practice for you.

@Susan EwartWe don't have to be this picky, in general. Right now, we are so focused on those shadows that we probably "see" them more than normally in an overall project.

@Gerry LandrethI suspect that during this workshop, we will often "overthink". Over time, shadows should become automatic. In the end, there is simple logic behind the settings. That is all that counts.

@fiona cookTranslucent elements are challenging to shadow. Here is a little trick: you can use similar settings, but divide the Opacity by about half. Translucent elements are only partially opaque AND light shines through it, which makes the shadow more faint.

@Sheila HoggAdding textures makes your assignment more interesting. Good work.

@Jeni SimpsonGood work. Do those shadows make sense so far?

@Linda J WalkerI don't see that extra layer on your image. What do you think of the reverse shadow?

@Sue ThomasYou are correct in your approach. The settings I give are only starting points, and assume a certain thickness of paper (scrapbook paper is usually thicker than writing paper) and if you adjust the settings based on the colors, it is the perfect tweak. Keep it up.

Keep it up. Tomorrow, we will play with shadows and distort them. Get ready!

Thanks for the tip Carole for shadows for translucent layers. I later tried it for Lesson2. Having set the shadow opacity to 40%, it made the coloured layer too dark but I double clicked on the shadow layer to get the layer properties where the opacity value appeared here at 100 so this I reset to 40 and it then seemed to work.

[Corrie Kinkel]

13 hours ago, Sue Thomas said:

Here is my lesson 2.  Shadow setting 8 8 60 8.  Reverse shadow  0 0 35 8.  Perhaps it's personal choice, but I don't like to make my shadows to heavy and to dark, especailly on  papers. As there is next to nothing in thickness in plain paper. On card stock and elements that is a different  thing all together. My preference is to lower the  depth and darkness. The colours of the papers also determine the settings I use. Is my thinking right or wrong?  I almost always  use the reverse shadow, to define  papers. 

I agree with you and almost all of the time I use a "lighter" shadow, but it depends on the background and the object as well. I'm not a fan of those hard shadows. But for this assignments I have done it according the given shadows so I could see if I like them or not. 

[Cristina]

I managed to finish Lesson 3 before traveling.

I also have Carole's Curved Photo & Lifted Photo scripts.  They are great.

I should use this technique more often to get a better feel for how far or low to push the shadow or the photo, for example.  I added a border to the photos to see the results better. 

I am enjoying this workshop very much.