Can you please tell me how to draw light and shadow effect on a complex shaped metal object?

yamato

Thank you for your interest.

I have to draw textures in photoshop for my job.

It is just very difficult. Especially I don't know where to make it darker and lighter and why the highlights are the way they are.

I can understand if it is a circle or a cube. All the explanations I've seen are for circles and squares. I know that I can make complex shapes by combining them, but I still don't know how to draw light and shadow.

Can someone please tell me?What are your thoughts?

 Or, if there is a site or video that explains the above, could you please let me know?

The attached image is attached as an example of why I cannot understand why such light and shadows are included in the image.

I look forward to your answer.

0Kelvin

I have no experience with this but I once saw artists having a 3D model just to have an idea of where the light is coming from.

yamato

Please allow me to add.

There is a bright side and a dark side to the picture. I know that the side where the light hits is the brightest, but why is there a mix of bright and dark sides?

If the bright side is next to the dark side, it would seem to be brighter.

I think one reason is that there is not just one light source, but complementary light. I just don't understand why it looks the way it does in the picture?

What is the law?

Eric Chadwick

I would recommend PSG Art Tutorial as a good starting place, and actually paint your own copies of each exercise:
http://androidarts.com/art_tut.htm#the_onion

More in a similar vein:
http://wiki.polycount.com/wiki/Concept_Fundamentals

0Kelvin

I think that one thing with metallic reflections is that often that dark reflection is not a shadow, but something dark being reflected on the metal's surface.

Eric Chadwick

Tons of tutorials out there about how to handpaint metals. Here's a good one.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njxJUAXc7yo

yamato

Thank you all for your answers.

I will look at the site and the video.

Thank you!

Eric Chadwick

To understand why metals are lit the way they are, you should understand commercial photography. Photographers spend a lot of time and effort on crafting precise reflections on metallic and mirrored surfaces. For example: https://theslantedlens.com/2023/how-to-photograph-shiny-metal-lighting-tutorial/

yamato

Eric Thanks for all the advice!

I'm glad I asked my question here!