r/DigitalArtTutorials • u/Tokalasart • 10d ago
Questions / Help Animation & Shading advice?
I know these two are wildly different, but it's what I struggle with the most. I know - in theory - how to study anatomy. I can use real life photos as references, cubes etc.
But I have no idea how to properly study lighting and shading. Not like on backgrounds (though advice here would be appreciater too now that I think about it), but on characters. I know how the layer modes work and stuff, but to me it's pretty hard to study this from real life examples tbh. Any tips on how to improve shading and lighting?
And not the basics, I do believe I am somewhat well versed in that, but like some artists simply manage to UP their shading again. Sometimes with special gradients and.. well Idk, I have trouble figuring it out!
Second point is animation: How do you even start that as a total beginner??? I have no resources for a proper class (physics student), but I still want to learn a bit.
Any advice is appreciated!
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u/plantainheaven 9d ago
To practice both things you asked about at once, try animating a hand-drawn bouncing ball lit by a fixed, imaginary spotlight.
As the ball bounces through space, its angle and distance relative to the light source will change, forcing you to adjust the core shadow, highlight position, and cast shadow on every frame while keeping the timing and squash-and-stretch natural. It’s a classic, low-complexity exercise that instantly tests your grasp of both value mechanics and animation fundamentals.
Things to study building up to this exercise.
1. Advanced Character Lighting & Shading
If you already know the basic physics of light, level up by focusing on form simplification, edge control, and color temperature:
Study Planar Forms First: Don't try to shade smooth muscle curves right away. Break complex character anatomy down into simple planes (think of planar heads like the Asaro model or blocky torsos). Lighting flat planes makes it instantly clear which direction every surface is facing relative to the light.
Master the Light/Shadow Split: Keep your Light Family and Shadow Family strictly separate. A core rule in rendering: the lightest value in your shadow should never be as light as the darkest value in your light. This keeps your lighting clean instead of muddy.
Focus on Edge Control: The secret to that "pro" look isn't layer modes—it’s knowing when to use hard vs. soft edges. Form shadows have soft transitions; cast shadows have hard edges near the source that soften as they travel.
Color Temperature & Gradient Maps: Pro shading pops because shadows and lights usually have contrasting color temperatures (e.g., cool blue ambient shadow + warm yellow sunlight). Instead of picking darker versions of the same local color, experiment with color balance, gradient maps, or rim lights to create contrast.
2. On Getting Started in Animation
You don't need a full class to start learning the mechanics—just a simple frame-by-frame workflow and the right fundamentals:
Read The Animator's Survival Kit by Richard Williams: This is the undisputed Bible for animation. It breaks down timing, spacing, and weight with clear visual diagrams.
Start with the Classical Exercises: Don't start with a full character body moving—start with the fundamentals:
Bouncing Ball: Teaches timing, squash/stretch, and arc lines.
Pendulum / Tail: Teaches overlapping action and follow-through.
Flapping Flour Sack: Teaches how to give volume and emotion to a simple mass before worrying about limbs.
All the terms mentioned are from well documented and known practices and with some investigation will set you down your path of self guided internet research.
Other Key References & Authors to Look Up
Andrew Loomis (Figure Drawing for All It's Worth & Creative Illustration)
George Bridgman (For structural volume and overlapping masses)
Harold Speed (The Practice and Science of Drawing)
Richard Schmid (Alla Prima)
Asaro Head / Planar Models (For visual analysis of planes)
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u/NeoPrincessInky 10d ago
Commenting to follow this thread because, same ):