Guys,

I'm working on a thank-you card for work. Our mascot is a toucan, so here is what I did.
(This is a low-rez comp--the actual file is much bigger.)



My problem is, the cast shadow. I'm just not very good at placing shadows. I really need some advice from our experts on where, if anywhere, to place the shadow of the bird.

Here it is, without the shadow.



Thanks in advance!

Can't see the source ... sorry Cynn.

The way you actualy put the shadow is nearly impossible... We would see a much larger shadow casted by the nozzle (it is how you call it? ) or even the head. But you can possibly cast the shadow on whatever side you want since we can't really see light source. (it's probably from the top but anyway...) If you cast a true shadow at the bottom, it will interfere with the text which is not a good idea. So you may want to cast it to the right or anywhere else at the bottom but very soft. Don't forget the parrot head tho. Here's a example of a shadow to the right.

For placement, I think the light source appears to be above and to slightly to the right based on the beak and head highlights. I think Cynn's original placement is fairly close, but I agree with Alex on everything else about the shadow, including the angle adjustment onto the flat surface that he made. However, he also makes a good point that since the lighting source is not so obvious, you really can cast the shadow just about anyway you want to, just in case you like a certain orientation or don't want to get too close to your text.

This is great stuff. Thanks so much, you guys!

I'm still confused. Isn't the light coming from the upper right, making that bright highlight on the beak?

So... wouldn't it cast a shadow of the head, which would be sort of round, from the top, and then the beak pointing down? Like..

O
v

yep... the real place would be where you put it, but with a different shape. Much longer. Too longer for me because of your text. As for the highlights you're right. It was a outdoor scene, so the sun is the principal light source. Probably up-right.

As I see it The light comes from above right. See the shadow on the birds chest. So a bit of its beak will come onto the card:



As i figured it would be this part of the beak:



Now go onto a new layer and put a gradient over it and put it in the place where it might be if there wasn't a card:



Than blur it a bit and smear it out a bit so it looks like real and than remove the parts that won't touch the card:



IMHO

Also what Stephan and Alex are saying.

Patim, you're a wonder. Thank you--that looks right.

I had it more or less in the right place, and it was more or less a shadow of the right thing, but it's way too sharp and needs to be a gradient.

Thanks, everybody.

( I can move the words to the top, or lay the cast shadow behind them, Alex. )

One more question: What determines how blurry a cast shadow should be? Proximity to the light source?

I think the closer the object is to the surface it's casting the shadow onto, the sharper the shadow will be. In this case, the shadow on the green surface would be sharper than the shadow on his chest. I think. Also, what I do for the colour of the shadow is to sample the surface and add black to it (in CMYK) instead of just a black shadow. Hope this helps a little. I hope. I really do.

It does, Sage.

I just made this explanatory pic as an example for what Sage is saying:

My suggestion: break your leg, go to the hospital, get a cast put on, go sit in the sunshine and take a picture of the shadow. There's your cast shadow.

i actualy like it without the shadow.. its less distracting

A physical answer to your last question Cynn:

The distance of the light source is not really important for the sharpness of a shadow. The sun i consider as somewhat far away, though it is casting pretty sharp shadows, isn't it? More important is the number of light sources and their brightness. Imagine an object on the beach in a position with almost no (visible) shadows. Now point with a flashlight at it. It will cast a shadow! Whatsoever, due to the brightness of the diffuse light of the surrounding you will see either no additional shadow or one that i call really blurry. In short terms: what you have to do is to consider the sum of the brightness of all light sources at every single point in the room, together with the direction of the wavefront propagation. ... i promised a physical answer!

The second important thing is the shape and structure of the object. The fur of a cat will produce a more blurry shadow than a sharp thing of metal. Additionally, round objects have mostly less sharp shadows, but that depends on the 1st point i mentioned. BTW, if i look at your Tucan and take in account that the light comes from top right, i would also expect a more 'banana-like' shadow, since the light hits the beak on top.

3. thing is indeed the distance to the surface, what sage said and patim illustrated so well. The reason is, that normal light is deflected and can 'crawl' under the object. Point 1 remains important here as well. All together it blurs your shadow more with more distance.

The last thing to consider is the structure, shape and the optical properties of the displaying surface. The more rough the surface is, the more blurry the shadow will be. If it is not a straight surface, but somewhat round, the same effect as in point 2 takes effect. The shadow seems to be stretched and loses slowly brightness (=blurry). Further, if it is a surface that reflects light very well you can expect a sharper shadow than with something that absorbs light (anyway, in a mirror or sth. similar you will have hardly any shadow! I talk about non-shiny materials). Again, point 1 - the sum of all lights - is here important.

... go figure.

Disclaimer: I never said i could put all this into a drawing!!!