Basic Lighting, the Serena way. Art copyright Serena.

The skilled Serena donated this reference collection on lighting. Things are going well! Thanks, Serena. Serena's other work can be seen at DeviantART. Do not copy or redistribute without express permission from the artist.

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Some General Tips

1. Get a Tablet.

Now, I'm not one to claim there's any shortcuts or magic tools to becoming a successful artist, but a tablet is a very, very useful piece of hardware, and a great investment for anyone who is the least bit serious about becoming a graphic artist. I have the cheapest, smallest tablet you can get (a 4X5" Graphire2) and I can't even begin to tell you how useful it is. I use it every day. With the right software, it's like having an art studio that never runs out of supplies (well, until you run out of hard-drive space, that is).

2. Look at EVERYTHING!

Your artistic growth will be terribly stunted if your only references or inspiration is your favourite anime art. Look at all kinds of art. Got to your local art gallery, look at TV commercials, look at posters, and ads. Look at the lighting in some of the movies right now, like Lord of the Rings. Look at webdesign, design in print and the animation in TV show openings. Be inspired by some cutting-edge music videos. Look everywhere in the media for inspiration.

But even more than that, look at things just around you. Look at the way the light from a window hits your mother's face. Look at the way your shirt folds. Look at the colors in your wrists, and on your feet. Never underestimate using yourself as a reference, find a mirror. Look at sunsets and clouds and trees. As you become a more accomplished artist, you'll be able to translate things in life into 2D, and you'll get ideas on what techniques to use. You'll start to see things in brushstrokes... it's like the art-version of being in the matrix. (Yeah, I know that's a cheesey analogy.)

3. Draw varied subjects.

Even better than just looking at things around you is actually DRAWING things around you! There aren't any shortcuts to becoming a successful artist, but drawing from life will certainly make your progress a lot faster.

4. Limit your colors.

Try to stick to two or three colors that look good together, usually two strong complimentary colors and a neutral color. Often people make the mistake of using all the pretty colors they see, but most attractive art sticks to a general color scheme.

5. Don't limit your colors.

Haha, I contradicted what I just said. But I notice that a lot of less-experienced colorists stay within one hue for each element of an image they color. For example, skin tones consist of only lighter and darker versions of the skin tones. But when light hits human skin, there is a wide range of colors, light and dark.

6. Check out some of the rising stars of graphic art on the web.

In most cases, you can ask about specific techniques they use, if you approach them in a professional manner (ie, don't beg). For example, I asked one of my favourite artists how she achieved a certain texture in some of her artwork, and she sent me a pm with some tips on how she did it. However, most artists DON'T react well to general questions, like "How did you color that?" or "Can you teach me to draw?". Also, be respectful that some artists won't tell you how they achieved certain techniques, preferring to keep them trade-secrets; the art industry is very competitive. But even if they refuse, you can still be professional and friendly, and they can still become valuable contacts.

Rememeber, and I can't stress this enough, to be professional in your correspondences. Begging and sucking up will not impress your favourite artist, and will cost you some respect.

Color of light:

Light comes in all kinds of colors. Indoor lighting usually has a golden, yellow-tinge. Outdoor light is often very blue, but changes depending on the time of day (beautiful pink sunrises and orange sunsets). Keep this in mind, as it can have a lot to do with setting the mood in a painting.

Position of light:

We all know the general lighting cliches, under-lighting makes a character look menacing, backlighting can make them look suspiscious, lighting from the side makes them look heroic, etc. Experiment with lighting positions to suit the mood of your image. Try to break out of the top-side lighting convention in anime art (I know I need to.)

Degree of diffuse:

There are two types of light we call diffuse and contrast lighting. Diffuse lighting is soft, ambient lighting. In indoor scenes, diffuse lighting comes from light bounced off the walls. In outdoor scenes, it is lighting from the sky, but not the sun. In general, diffuse lighting comes from dim light coming from a large area. On the other hand, we have contrast lighting. Contrast lighting is direct comes from a strong source, usually a point. Direct sunlight or light from a spotlight or bare lightbulb are examples of contrast lighting.

You may have noticed that in most lighting situations, both diffuse and direct lighting are present, which brings us to the next point.

Multiple Lights:

The most common example of multiple lighting is the light from the sun and the light from the sky. The light from the sun creates hard shadows, while the light from the sky lightens the shadows and create some softer secondary shadows within the shadows cast by the sun. Keep this in mind while you are coloring, you can create some very interesting and beatiful effects.

Another popular multiple-lighting scheme is three-point lighting. This type of lighting is used commonly in film, television and photography, especially when lighting people. Check it out.

Radiosity and bounced-light:

Bounced-light can create really beautiful effects in one's art. For example, the blue pale lightness of the shadows in Hyung Tae Kim's work is essentially meant to be white reflected-light from the pale, white surroundings. Another example is if you hold a yellow flower under someone's chin, you will see that even though it doesn't emit light, it creates a little yellow glow on their skin. because bounced-light often comes from a surface rather than a point, it is very diffused. Filmmakers and photographers often use "fill cards" to bounce soft light onto a subject.

Cast-shadows vs. Shading:

Shading and shadows are different. A shadow is created when light is blocked by an opaque object. Shading is the measure darkness of a surface determined by the the angle it faces the light. These two types of shade look different, so keep it in mind when you color.

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	Some General Tips 1. Get a Tablet. Now, I'm not one to claim there's any shortcuts or magic tools to becoming a successful artist, but a tablet is a very, very useful piece of hardware, and a great investment for anyone who is the least bit serious about becoming a graphic artist. I have the cheapest, smallest tablet you can get (a 4X5" Graphire2) and I can't even begin to tell you how useful it is. I use it every day. With the right software, it's like having an art studio that never runs out of supplies (well, until you run out of hard-drive space, that is). 2. Look at EVERYTHING! Your artistic growth will be terribly stunted if your only references or inspiration is your favourite anime art. Look at all kinds of art. Got to your local art gallery, look at TV commercials, look at posters, and ads. Look at the lighting in some of the movies right now, like Lord of the Rings. Look at webdesign, design in print and the animation in TV show openings. Be inspired by some cutting-edge music videos. Look everywhere in the media for inspiration. But even more than that, look at things just around you. Look at the way the light from a window hits your mother's face. Look at the way your shirt folds. Look at the colors in your wrists, and on your feet. Never underestimate using yourself as a reference, find a mirror. Look at sunsets and clouds and trees. As you become a more accomplished artist, you'll be able to translate things in life into 2D, and you'll get ideas on what techniques to use. You'll start to see things in brushstrokes... it's like the art-version of being in the matrix. (Yeah, I know that's a cheesey analogy.) 3. Draw varied subjects. Even better than just looking at things around you is actually DRAWING things around you! There aren't any shortcuts to becoming a successful artist, but drawing from life will certainly make your progress a lot faster. 4. Limit your colors. Try to stick to two or three colors that look good together, usually two strong complimentary colors and a neutral color. Often people make the mistake of using all the pretty colors they see, but most attractive art sticks to a general color scheme. 5. Don't limit your colors. Haha, I contradicted what I just said. But I notice that a lot of less-experienced colorists stay within one hue for each element of an image they color. For example, skin tones consist of only lighter and darker versions of the skin tones. But when light hits human skin, there is a wide range of colors, light and dark. 6. Check out some of the rising stars of graphic art on the web. In most cases, you can ask about specific techniques they use, if you approach them in a professional manner (ie, don't beg). For example, I asked one of my favourite artists how she achieved a certain texture in some of her artwork, and she sent me a pm with some tips on how she did it. However, most artists DON'T react well to general questions, like "How did you color that?" or "Can you teach me to draw?". Also, be respectful that some artists won't tell you how they achieved certain techniques, preferring to keep them trade-secrets; the art industry is very competitive. But even if they refuse, you can still be professional and friendly, and they can still become valuable contacts. Rememeber, and I can't stress this enough, to be professional in your correspondences. Begging and sucking up will not impress your favourite artist, and will cost you some respect.
	Color of light: Light comes in all kinds of colors. Indoor lighting usually has a golden, yellow-tinge. Outdoor light is often very blue, but changes depending on the time of day (beautiful pink sunrises and orange sunsets). Keep this in mind, as it can have a lot to do with setting the mood in a painting. Position of light: We all know the general lighting cliches, under-lighting makes a character look menacing, backlighting can make them look suspiscious, lighting from the side makes them look heroic, etc. Experiment with lighting positions to suit the mood of your image. Try to break out of the top-side lighting convention in anime art (I know I need to.)
	Degree of diffuse: There are two types of light we call diffuse and contrast lighting. Diffuse lighting is soft, ambient lighting. In indoor scenes, diffuse lighting comes from light bounced off the walls. In outdoor scenes, it is lighting from the sky, but not the sun. In general, diffuse lighting comes from dim light coming from a large area. On the other hand, we have contrast lighting. Contrast lighting is direct comes from a strong source, usually a point. Direct sunlight or light from a spotlight or bare lightbulb are examples of contrast lighting. You may have noticed that in most lighting situations, both diffuse and direct lighting are present, which brings us to the next point. Multiple Lights: The most common example of multiple lighting is the light from the sun and the light from the sky. The light from the sun creates hard shadows, while the light from the sky lightens the shadows and create some softer secondary shadows within the shadows cast by the sun. Keep this in mind while you are coloring, you can create some very interesting and beatiful effects. Another popular multiple-lighting scheme is three-point lighting. This type of lighting is used commonly in film, television and photography, especially when lighting people. Check it out.
	Radiosity and bounced-light: Bounced-light can create really beautiful effects in one's art. For example, the blue pale lightness of the shadows in Hyung Tae Kim's work is essentially meant to be white reflected-light from the pale, white surroundings. Another example is if you hold a yellow flower under someone's chin, you will see that even though it doesn't emit light, it creates a little yellow glow on their skin. because bounced-light often comes from a surface rather than a point, it is very diffused. Filmmakers and photographers often use "fill cards" to bounce soft light onto a subject.
	Cast-shadows vs. Shading: Shading and shadows are different. A shadow is created when light is blocked by an opaque object. Shading is the measure darkness of a surface determined by the the angle it faces the light. These two types of shade look different, so keep it in mind when you color.