Adv Shadow Tips3 - Giordan on Graphics

Advanced Shadow Tips- Color

If you're compositing an object into a photograph, controlling the color of your cast shadows can make the difference between a good edit job and an invisible one. This is less applicable if you're not creating a photographic look, but its still good information to keep in mind.

I mentioned earlier that a warm or cool shadow can make the effect look better, and this idea builds on that principal. In real life, the color of a shadow is the opposite of the color of light casting it. Using the color wheel as a guide, this means that a yellow light source would cast a bluish shadow. This is especially noticable in snowscapes where the shadow color is easily visible against the white snowdrifts. The color of the sun is generally yellow, resulting in blue shadows in the snowdrifts. I say the sun is "usually" yellow because later in the day around sunset it can change to a deeper color that results in violet shadows.

If you're going to use this approach, be sure to use some restraint in adding the color This effect should be felt, not seen. In many cases there will be other shadows cast in the image, making it a simple matter to measure the color values and replicate them in the shadows you are creating.

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