M.C Escher, Hand with Reflecting Sphere, 1935
This image is the perfect example of reflection of light across a curved surface. Due to the ball’s spherical nature, the reflected light distorts and stretches the reflection, increasing as it progresses further from the centre point. This is most noticeable when you compare the figure in the centre to the shelving in the top left of the reflection.
In the reflection, there is the presence of bounced light from the windows, illuminating most of the right side of the room. Because of this and the distance from the light, the shadows around the walls are undefined for the most part – although in particular around the chairs and shelves, the shadows are harsh and defined.
Aside from the reflective ball, the hand is being illuminated from the right. Due to the intensity and sharp contrast of the shadow/ light across the hand, the light source is likely to be a lamp that is close to the hand. This could also be seen by comparing the shadow on the little finger with the shadow of the following fingers. It becomes much more undefined in nature and a lighter gradient to the defined and more intense shadow around the folds of the little finger, illustrating that the light has a high intensity/ close radius.
The background gradient of the image is likely to be more a compositional choice than a realistic one – with the dark tones at the base of the background contrasting and ultimately framing pale tones of the hand. Conversely, due to the shadow increasing progressively from the right window of the sphere, for the most part, the pale top background tones create a clear definition of the sphere’s weight and existence within the world.
Mass Effect 3 (Miranda) – Patryk Garrett, 2011
Bounced light and colour is a large part of what makes this artwork work. The figure of Miranda is the focal point of several different colours/ light sources reflecting and contrasting. The overall colour palette of the ship can be considered cold – with varying degrees of blues and greys making up the metallic forms. This reflects on the skin of Miranda and is especially prevalent in the shadow covering the top half of her face, and her legs (the most intense light on her leg most likely being a bright blue/grey than a white or pale skin tone). Even her black t-shirt is absorbing the blue palette slightly.
However one of the most intense aspects of the image is the contrasting nature of the hot colours radiating from the Tech arm. The light that it is giving off is so intense, that it reflects brightly from the black t-shirt that Miranda wears – which does not have a reflective surface (as proven by the absorption of most of the blue light within the area. The intensity of light given off by the tech arm influences the colour of the metal it is resting on in addition to the bottom of Miranda’s leg.
Another light source exists in the image beyond the tech arm – and this is coming from the top right of the image. It can be seen at its most intense on the metal beam top right (which then reflects down on the leg/ bottom of the black t-shirt) but it extends across the image, illuminating the mouth and shoulder of Miranda - in addition to the metalwork behind her. At the points where it hits the skin, the colour palette becomes warm, whiles when it hits the metalwork behind her head, the cold palette remains.
Jeong Juno, Novel S.K.T cover illustration 2003
Page 52, Japanese Comickers 2 (2006, Collin Harpers Design, New York.)
The light for this image is natural, and unlike the last two images, this source has almost a universal effect on the tones. The colours and light established within the sky in the top third of the image influence the pale buildings and rocks in the background – obscuring the solidarity of the scaffold like structures in the horizon. As the light hits the back of the car, it reflects of the surface, dominating the area and background around the car. As the image progress to the foreground, the bonnet of the car is illuminated (at its most intense along the left of the image). In the more intense areas of light, again the colour palette of the sky is evident in its influence. On the skin of the character in the centre of the image, the light is reflecting from the muscles and curves of the left side. The character to the right has a skin tone that is not largely influenced by the light source (only noticeably in the higher cheek area). Instead, his hair and coat absorb most of light (creating at points sub surface scattering between hair strands). The black elements in this image (the Jacket, the t-shirt, the trousers and chains) do not absorb at light much. Only at points where the light is intense, such as the right characters shoulder, will the light begin to affect the colour of the jacket to reflect the colour of the light.
The shadows in the image are most prominent on the car bonnet, where both the characters have a shadow reflecting from its surface. Dynamic occlusion can be seen in the slight changes in tone from the shadow of the right character – as the shadow closest to his leg becomes lighter and sinks into the tones of the car window as it gets further from his body and the point for which the shadow is being cast.
Sources:(accessed 26/11/11)
http://gods-of-art.com/mass-effect-fan-art Patryk Garrett, Mass Effect 3 Fan Art. 2011
(accessed 27/11/11)
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