Boost Those Shadows

A great way to add extra dimension to an image is to beef-up the shadows, especially when there are layers of objects, such as these leaves. Adding darker shadows tricks the eye into seeing depth... the darker the area, the more recessed it appears.

I started by printing a coloured version of the leaf panel and selecting a variety of mid to dark grey markers. I'll use the lighter shades on the leaves at the top and darker shades in the leaves that are deeper in the pile.

The uppermost leaf is where I'll begin to deepen the shadows, using the lightest of the grey markers (a copic W4). I'm only going to add the shadow around the right hand side and bottom of the image, not the entire outline. This will instantly "lift" the leaf away from the pile.

I'll apply the next darkest marker (W5) to the next layer of leaves, which I'm indicating in the photo below. Again, I'm only applying the shadow around the right and bottom of each leaf. None of the marker should cross the uppermost leaf or you'll lose the illusion.

Continue working down the layers until you've applied the darkest marker to the bottom leaves in the pile. Those dark areas will pull backward, giving the illusion of depth.

Here you can see the difference between the image we boosted and an untouched version.

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