Discover how to create cast shadows with diverging light sources such as projectors, perfect for hand-held objects. Explore multiple light directions and practice freehand shadow lines to bring your sketches to life with clear, effective shading.

We saw previously at the How to Draw Cast Shadow using PARALLEL source light (such as the sun).
Today let’s see more about DIVERGING source light (such as 1 or multiple projectors).

The “Diverging source light” would fit better for objects you could hold in your hand for example.


1. Draw cast shadow with multiple sources of lights

Cast shadow with 2 projectors
Cast shadow with 2 projectors


Cast shadow with a closer projector to the volume.

Try to draw a few and test a minimum of 5 different sources of light.
Take a pen and let me know how it goes in the comments below!

Note:
Try to draw Cast shadows without using any ruler to trace the straight lines.
It’s a good habit to take from the start.
If needed, you can click here to get a tutorial on how to draw straight lines without a ruler.


2. Cast shadow with front source light

The blue light come from the front of the cylinder.
The blue light comes from the front of the cylinder.

3. Cast shadow with back source light

The green light comes from the front of the cylinder.
The green light comes from the front of the cylinder.

4. Draw infinite possibilities of source lights

Feel free to resize the cylinder with rails to explore an infinity of possibilities for light sources.

The purple light comes from behind
The purple light comes from behind
Try multiple sources of lights
Try multiple sources of lights

Drawing exercise:

Draw a minimum of 5 cast shadow from different source light.

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Chou-Tac

Hello! I'm Chou-Tac, a Product Designer from France.

If the sketching methods I’ve acquired aid me in my life and in my industrial design career, I believe that they can also help you reach your dream goal as a student or professional designer.

Leave a comment in the blog or send me an email at choutac@thedesignsketchbook.com : )

Chou-Tac

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3 comments

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  • your cylinder does my head in,I thought the light source had to be shown at a right angle to the floor but that just looks like you have drawn the light on the rail at the top, but at the front of the cylinder and then connected it to the floor at the back. 🙂

  • i’ve never seen someone teach shadows easier than this 😀 … thanks alot for sharing this with us ^_^

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