11-30-2014, 11:12 PM
Hi Maggie!
Regarding the 3 color zones, here is a description of it from James Gurney:
http://gurneyjourney.blogspot.co.at/2008...-face.html
By the way, if you don´t know about his book Color&Light, buy it! It is in my opinion THE best source for light and color in paintings I know of.
Basically these zones describe where each hue dominates in the face. Use these color zones very subtly in your portraits and it creates a more lively and vibrant skin color
Regarding your question about warm/yellow light source and cold shadows:
This is not easy to answer. Generally the "rule" warm light /cool shadows or vice versa should be followed, but don´t do it blindly.
In skin, the shadows get more saturated and warm with a warm light source as Paul already said. That is due to the light reflecting from lit parts of the skin into skin shadow parts, tinting the shadows with the light source colors. In skin you also have subsurface scattering that warms up skin tones because light scatters below the skin surface and gives it a reddish glow the more light shines through it (imagine a strong light source shining through your fingers. They will appear more red and have a glow around them) Just google subsurface scattering and you find plenty material on that.
Coming back to shadows: Always remember to pick a shadow color based on the material it falls on and on the surrounding light that bounces into the shadow! For example on a bright sunny day (sun as warm light source) you get cooler blueish shadows because the blue of the skydome (which is a second light source! -->Ambient light) lights the shadows and give them a blueish tint. The sunlight is a much stronger source of light, so the light from the skydome doesn´t completely light the shadow and makes it disappear, it only tints it. Hope that makes sense :)
Try to find photos of different lighting conditions and materials (e.g.: grassy fields, a face, buildings,...) and color pick in PS observing what hues are there in light and shadow. This simple observations help a lot in understanding how light and shadows behave.
Regarding the 3 color zones, here is a description of it from James Gurney:
http://gurneyjourney.blogspot.co.at/2008...-face.html
By the way, if you don´t know about his book Color&Light, buy it! It is in my opinion THE best source for light and color in paintings I know of.
Basically these zones describe where each hue dominates in the face. Use these color zones very subtly in your portraits and it creates a more lively and vibrant skin color
Regarding your question about warm/yellow light source and cold shadows:
This is not easy to answer. Generally the "rule" warm light /cool shadows or vice versa should be followed, but don´t do it blindly.
In skin, the shadows get more saturated and warm with a warm light source as Paul already said. That is due to the light reflecting from lit parts of the skin into skin shadow parts, tinting the shadows with the light source colors. In skin you also have subsurface scattering that warms up skin tones because light scatters below the skin surface and gives it a reddish glow the more light shines through it (imagine a strong light source shining through your fingers. They will appear more red and have a glow around them) Just google subsurface scattering and you find plenty material on that.
Coming back to shadows: Always remember to pick a shadow color based on the material it falls on and on the surrounding light that bounces into the shadow! For example on a bright sunny day (sun as warm light source) you get cooler blueish shadows because the blue of the skydome (which is a second light source! -->Ambient light) lights the shadows and give them a blueish tint. The sunlight is a much stronger source of light, so the light from the skydome doesn´t completely light the shadow and makes it disappear, it only tints it. Hope that makes sense :)
Try to find photos of different lighting conditions and materials (e.g.: grassy fields, a face, buildings,...) and color pick in PS observing what hues are there in light and shadow. This simple observations help a lot in understanding how light and shadows behave.