Airbrush Technique Issue 23 - (Page 8) Now, let’s give recessed lettering a go. I start with a “sandstone” panel and want to add lettering that looks like it is cut or carved into the surface. I will be using highlights and shadows to do this. Once again, I must determine my light source before I begin. I will be using a top left light source for this panel. 1. I prepare my lettering using a scrap piece of paint mask. I will be using the negative image this time. In other words, I will cut out and remove the letters, leaving the empty space where they were. This is the area I will be painting. 2. I begin adding my shadows. This is extremely important to get right. When done correctly, it is an amazing illusion. My light source is from the top/left. My lettering is cut into the surface; I must think what is going to be the darkest part of my shadow. The areas closest to my light source (right under the raised surface) will block the most light, therefore will be the darkest part of my shadows. I add the darkest shadow there, and let fade away. It doesn’t take much! Less is more. Remember, shadows are transparent in nature. **Note** I will only be using shadows, without any highlights, for this particular panel. The lettering is quite narrow. Because I am allowing the shadow to fade away, there will be enough overspray to build up on the opposite side of the lettering (from my light source) to create the definition needed for the illusion. Because the shadows opposite the light source are so much lighter in color, they will actually act as a highlight. 3. I carefully remove my masking. You can see how effective the shadows are in this illusion. It is absolutely key to have the shadows transition from deep and dark to barely there. This fade pulls the illusion off. I add some cracks to help spice things up a bit. Notice as you look at the illusion, all the shadows and highlights make sense to our lightsource. Without proper placement and fading, the illusion woulnd’t work as well, if not fail completely. There you go. Quick, simple, and highly effective illusion. Now, let’s literally combine what we’ve learned in raised and recessed lettering. 1. I apply a computer cut vinyl stencil to a red panel. When you look at the vinyl lettering, you will notice two distinct parts. There is an outline around the actual letters themselves. The parts that are masked off with the vinyl will appear to be a raised surface. The letters that were “weeded” out will appear to be recessed. 2. I determine my light source (top left) and begin applying highlights around the outside edges (according to our light source). This is just like we did in raised let- tering. **Note** You notice that I highlighted the top line, but did not highlight the bottom line of lettering. This is because of the shadow that the top line will cast. Let me ask you this, when was the last time you saw a shiny piece of metal in the middle of a shadow? With all the shadows from the top line, highlighting the bottom line would look out of place. Don’t worry. Just like in the recessed lettering, we are going to let the shadows fade away to actually create our highlights for us.
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