Light & Shadow
Hard shadows vs. soft shadows
Shadow edges reveal the size and distance of a light source. Learning this makes drawings, renders, and photos feel more believable.
The simple idea
A hard shadow has a sharp edge. A soft shadow has a blurry edge.
That edge tells the viewer something about the light source.
Small light sources create harder shadows. Large light sources create softer shadows.
Why the sun can make hard shadows
The sun is enormous, but it is also very far away. From our point of view, it behaves like a relatively small light in the sky.
That is why a clear sunny day creates sharp cast shadows.
Why cloudy days make soft shadows
Clouds scatter sunlight across the sky. Instead of one small bright light, the whole sky becomes a broad glowing source.
That creates softer, weaker shadows.
What artists should notice
The softness of a shadow depends on:
- the apparent size of the light
- the distance between the object and the surface receiving the shadow
- the shape of the object
- the amount of ambient and bounce light
A practical rule
If your light source is large, nearby, or diffused, soften the shadow edge.
If your light source is small, far, and direct, sharpen the shadow edge.
Studio exercise
Put an object on a table. Shine your phone flashlight at it from a few inches away, then from several feet away.
Watch how the shadow changes. The object stays the same, but the light geometry changes the feeling of realism.