ABSTRACT
Shadows might be considered something that things gethidden or lost in, but this element of lighting is actually so vital in terms of composition and defining spatial relationships, that the importance of shadows in a lighting scheme simply cannot be overstated. The human eye takes a cue from shadows not only in judging where a light source is located, but also what an object is made of, how far away it is and how it relates spatially to its surroundings. Shadows vary enormously in their many qualities of shape and form with the environment’s illumination. It is the ability to reproduce these characteristics that is one of the keystones of obtaining realistic renderings.
