Tropical Island Study
Added 2020-11-13 10:43:08 +0000 UTCA little study for a new illustration along with a process shot and some tips on cast shadow color.
Things to keep in mind:
When an object that's far away casts a shadow, the shadow is filled with ambient light - in this case, it becomes extremely cyan. If the object is close to the ground where it's projecting it's shadow, the shadow doesn't catch as much ambient light - that's why the cast shadows from rocks and bushes are much darker (plus the bushes hang over their own shadow, restricting any ambient light form seeping in. The shadows cast from distant objects become softer, while those form objects close by remain crisp.
In the diagram that I drew the influence of ambient light on the cast shadow is extreme and exaggerated, but so it is on the reference as well. These extremely saturated and bright cast shadows could be used more so as a compositional tool and a means of enhancing the color palette, rather than actually really describing shadows.
