Weird shadow situation

[Flo]

Hey everybody,

I did a value study, using Scott Robertson's half-way-to-black-technique, and it was slow but fun and I think I learned some stuff.

I have 3 questions:

1. how light is the light-facing plane, if the plane up top is considered the "light plane" being a 60 and the "half-shadow-plane" is a 45 (shadow plane being a 30)?

2. what is wrong with the cast shadow on the side? It is weird to me, and I tried constructing it, but it didn't work out. Do you guys have any suggestions?

3. the same as number 1, only with shadow. How dark is the least-light-facing-plane, if the plane up top is a 75 and the shadow-plane is 33 (plus some artistic license)

I hope I could describe the problems. I am looking forward to your answers.

Flo

[Amit Dutta]

I'd love to help but I have to admit I have almost no idea what is going on in your drawings. Clearly there is some intended exercise but it is really hard to distinguish what are actual forms and what are cast shadows. It looks like one of those "impossible object" illusions. Can you show us what the objects are (by silhouette perhaps), where the light is coming from, the intended ground plane, and perspective grid maybe?

[meat]

Sometimes it could be calculation and data correct, but just not look correct because it's something unfamiliar, like this irregularly shaped, multi-color object of unknown material(s). The cast shadow might look more "right" if you make it darker where it's closer to the contact, and fades off to be lighter where it's further away from the object. But then again the ground surface could also be reflecting light back onto the object, making the lower part of that shaded "wall" light up just ever so slightly... this thing is hard....

Where that little "wing" on the left sticks out? Try some ambient occlusion at the seam where it connects to the main body. Like, make it darker.