Observing light and shadow

Here is my attempt for this exercise:

I found this quite challenging. As the exercise notes suggested, light bounces off each objects onto the other. The shape of the vase means that the lower half is more in shadow than the top half. Irregularities in the form of the apple and the ridges of the vase cause additional ribs of shadow as well as points that catch further highlighting.

So, it is not a case of light simply hitting the top right side of each object and then gradually grading into a darker tone to the left as in the simple Circle to ball exercise. The cast shadows too are complex with lighter and darker shapes with light interference between the apple and vase and to the left of the apple.

While the following isn’t immediately relevant to this exercise, it does show the value of drawing for depicting subtle changes in tone. I took a photo of the same objects, but the result was not what I expected at all. The apple and vase were much more in shadow than apparent when looking at these objects with the naked eye. The subtle grading and variation of shadow was significantly reduced. Perhaps this is why photos can appear to flatten an image (I think that’s what someone told me or I picked it up from the course notes). Anyway here’s the photo:

Looking back to my drawing, as an early attempt to vary tone to create the illusion of form, I think it was okay. I did not include any of the patterning, for example, on the apple, and the ridges on the vase were fairly casually added, I could have scrutinised those more carefully. The drawing is alright, but I could have gone further.

I did find that the space of the A4 sheet was a bit confining, and previous line markings on earlier drawings in the sketchpad sometimes shone through the shading. Rubbing out also appeared to interfere with reapplying tone. I will try a larger, separate sheet of paper (A3) for my next attempt.