Shadows are the dark tones created by an obstruction of light.
The introduction of acrylic paints revolutionized the visual arts world. According to
Rachel Mustalish of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, acrylic paints developed in the mid-20th century were highly pigmented and first used by artists, such as Andy Warhol and Helen Frankenthaler. Acrylic paints are fast drying and able to be thinned by water, rather than turpentine. To make shadow tones with acrylic paint, observe whether the tone is warm or cool and mix the appropriate paint color to the chosen background or scenery color. Paint the object first and then add its shadow.
Instructions
1. Consider the tone of the shadow you are planning on painting. Most shadows are cool tones, which have blue in them, rather than warm tones, which contain reds and oranges. Cool tones move back into space, while warm tones are popped forward on paintings.
2. Paint your object and the area where your object's shadow should go. For example, if it is a vase on a wooden table, apply paint for the vase. Squeeze a walnut-sized amount of brown paint onto your palette for the first thin layer of the wooden table. Dip your medium-sized brush into the brown paint and paint the table.
3. Squeeze an almond-sized amount of blue paint onto your palette. Mix it with a small amount of the brown with the same brush. Paint the part of the shadow closest to the object. If you are adding a shadow to a vase on a wooden table, paint the bottom edge of the vase where the shadow should go with this color. The shadow should be added opposite to the light source in the painting.
4. Mix a small amount of brown to the first mixture of blue and brown for the lighter area of the shadow, which should move away from the object, or vase in this case. Add more brown to the mixture as you move away from the object; the shadow should be lighter as it is farther away from the object.
5. Dip the paintbrush into the blue again. Paint the shadow area closest to the vase and the edges of the shadow. Step back from your painting and mix more brown and blue to any other areas of the shadow tone that needs more paint.
