Right, well, one problem that I've had many times when shading is trying to figure out how to create shadows...

By shadows, I mean, if a character is standing in a room, how do I create a shadow at their feet that does not end up looking like just a dark spot *behind* the character's feet? How do I make a shadow look like it's actually on the floor, especially when someone's feet are close together ?? Maybe I can figure it out on my own, but I'd like to ask anyway incase there are some basic guidelines out there to know about. @_@;

Make the shadow duller as it goes out. That's what I did on This page.

Everything you want to learn about shadows is best learned looking at shadows and drawing them.

If you imagine light as a physical thing - like a spray of water - that might help you understand shadows. Stuff the gets in the path of the light, blocks the light - but the farther away the shadow is from its source, it gets diffused by light that bounces into it off the ground and wall.

The shape of the shadow is roughly the profile of that which is blocking the light.

Shadows subscribe to the laws of perspective, the same as everything else.

If there is more than one light source (like a lightbulb- plus light pouring in thru a window) this creates two shadows, that are darkest when overlapping.