Looking at Light

Light is one of the most important aspects of art, without it there is no form, no colour and no sense of distance. Today we had a lecture on the importance of light within images and how to recognise different forms of light, from Bounce light to reflected light. Below are two images I have chosen, and I'll be talking about the light sources of the image and how realistic a portrayal this is.

Above you can see a concept art drawing from the game "Halo 4". The direct light source isn't visible in the image, but its coming from somewhere in the top left hand corner and you can see this from the shadow cast across the hangar. There is a small light source on the right hand side of the image, in the form of a bar or light connected to the hangar itself that slight illuminates the surrounding area. Light is also bouncing off the meteor in the top right hand corner of the image, reflected onto the hangar itself.

This second concept art drawing is for "God of War: Ascension". The direct light source is coming from the top right hand corner of the image, and the shadows from the struts above the building can be seen on the ground. There is also a small amount of light coming through the fabric in the right hand corner, which is bouncing off the ground and illuminating the water in the bottom left hand corner. Finally, bounce light from between the struts is illuminating the ceiling of the tunnel slightly by reflecting off the ground and upwards.