Warm Light = Cool Shadows? Or Is It A Myth?

[@KapookLynn]

The ‘there is no color in the shadow but the secondary light‘ things really enlightens me

[@bruce-le-smith]

Do not try and bend the spoon; that's impossible. Instead, only try to realize the truth… there is no spoon. Then you'll see that it is not the spoon that bends; it is only yourself

[@FaerieEnderHare]

unintentional pun moment?

[@RM_VFX]

This also answers the question "what color is chrome?" The answer is, "whatever it's reflecting."

[@Misterdrew_]

Yeah same here, a whole new world opened up 😊

[@Maddibitts]

This video blew my mind, I feel like I suddenly understand what I'm painting rather than just trusting a process

[@ScottHebertArt]

dang. The blue sky being secondary light source blew my mind a little bit. This was filmed really well and it greatly aided in my understanding of what you were talking about. Having you on screen as the presenter while the lights changed color and you changed environment was a really good choice even though it probably took forever to film. thanks for going the extra mile it really helps.

[@carnigoth]

Perfect explanation. I was always fascinated by sky blue shadows in the snow

[@David2222]

Yellow sunlight

[@Foervraengd]

1:28 this whole segment helps more than all of the boring spheres we usually use as shadow reference

[@bsmarques]

How can a short video be so full of information and lessons? Blew my mind, many times, thank you

[@vin4216]

It's amazing when Jeremy turns on the secondary light source, the area where the warm and cool light meets, becomes purple-ish in color.

[@bruce-le-smith]

an interior designer told me something similar once. she said that the same paint or finish would look different in a room with light coming from different cardinal directions and depending on what objects were outside the window. a big tree or a lawn would cast in a lot of green colour, and that might look cooler in a room with north facing windows during the day versus in a room with west facing windows in the evening, and then adding in multiple windows or doorways, etc. great video thanks!

[@catastropheoverclock]

I had a teacher ask if the warm light makes the shadows cool then what would cool light do to shadows, I said make them warm, and the teacher laughed and said no they become even more cool. This sounded wrong but I was just a student. Years later I asked a better art teacher if they were right and he thought for a moment and said, "their answer doesn't make sense, if something is cooler than cool then than means your cool was really a warm; warmness and coolness are relative in relation to each other, your warmest color is your warm and your coolest are your cool" and I was like damn I wish you were in my class years ago

[@grimsonforce7504]

Marco Bucci did a video on this also. I saw his before this video. Makes so much sense now. I feel like teachers complicate things than it needs to be.

[@ranasi1210]

I spent 5 ears of my life in an art school, but none of classes there were nearly as interesting as yours! Thank you so much! I hope we get to see more of your color theory/painting/etc videos🥺

[@MM-qm9ld]

You spent 5 years at an art school? Ouch.

[@Goodhello369]

Cost an arm, a leg and 5 ears 👂 😂 😅

[@citadelofwinds1564]

This has been extremely helpful. All too often I have come across dogmatic statements from artists and art teachers, and it's turned out that their claims apply only in some situations. But because those claims are expressed as rules, all too often people end up painting what they are TOLD is there, rather than what they OBSERVE to be there. This video has certainly taught me to look at both the shadow side of faces and to consider what kind of light is creating the colour seen on the face - the colour temperature of the light source, the direction of light, bounced light, etc. Thank you for the thorough explanation of colours in shadows.

[@nicknewboul]

1:26 that is such a good transition

[@christianmcnally4323]

I read this comment before hand and still wasn't ready. I was LITERALLY startled

[@myshrinkingviolet2]

The very thing I've been saying for YEEAAARRRS!!! Oh my gosh, someone else finally says it!! I've been saying shadow "color" is really just ambient lighting, aka anything that is bouncing or scattering light so that it may reach the darker areas. I have thought about doing a deep dive video on it for YEARS, now! If I ever do, I definitely want to guide folks to this video. Your demonstrations and explanations are immaculate!

[@JuanManuelTastzian]

Hi Jeremy, I wanted to take a minute to thank you for sharing this. This "myth" of "warm light/cool shadows" and vice versa is something very widespread, and "most of the time" true and "mind blowing", when examples are on a wide open area. What people don't know is that the reason for that being true in such examples, is the direct light of the sun and the reflected light of the sky, as you explain here in a perfectly clear way. Once again, thank you very much for clarifying this!

[@T.Florenz]

As an artist, I only use "warm light; cool shadows" as a shorthand for color relativity and a beginning point for teaching color and light theory. Learning more about how color IS light, and the scientific ways that light changes as it interacts with objects and environments (like the reddish edge that appears right before the terminator angle, called "Diffraction") helps to introduce more complexity and understanding. Love your breakdown of the subject!

[@darrylnelson2952]

Very helpful, I like the evidence presented to help see the reality. One other thing I noticed that has a big impact on the "shadow" colour, is the colour of the object itself. For instance, a reddish coloured cliff will of course look red on the sunny areas, but there will also be red in the shadow areas, although it may be a bit bluer red or perhaps warmer depending on the reflected light.

[@catzhead]

Sir, I wanted to thank you for your videos. I’ve been trying digital painting for years but you changed my life and opened my eyes. I’ve made more progress in a week than in all those years. Thank you so much!

[@Stess-j4n]

Thank you, I learned a lot. I never had a problem with light, I just drew what I saw. When I was in school (1970's) we didn't talk about temperature. One day the instructor told me about reflected light. Never had a problem with it after that. Your doing the same as he did, strait out not hiding behind catch words. I like that, no mysteries just what is.

[@canoners]

Great to see you you post this! I used to find it weird that people always refer to the artistic choice of warm light and cool shadow as some kind of rule, even though, as you mentioned in this video, that the coolness usually comes from the sky. Throughout my career, I realize that art directors use it less as a rule, but more to increase the appeal of an image, because color contrast usually makes an image more pleasing to the eye.

[@reallydarren]

Jeremy, taking it outside is just another level! I've learned so much, having these real life examples makes things in my brain click. Thank you for doing all of that!!

[@JaneXemylixa]

I always love ultramarine-blue shadows in the snow in winter. Especially next to the orange of a sunset. No illusions about where the color of the shadows comes from on such days

[@TravelingArtista]

Excellent explanation. Thank you! I've been playing with the connections & interplays between light color and pigment color for decades .. your clear descriptions of each aspect you discuss is great!

[@ashleytoltonart]

I swear every single one of your videos is an epiphany for me. Thank you SO MUCH for your content! It makes so much sense and it's so helpful.

[@lucytowbin4713]

Sooooo helpful! I have a Studio art degree since 1974 and nobody ever explained shadows to me like this!

[@AlexKellyArtUK]

Your explanation is very clear and well-supported with real-world examples. One aspect I was hoping you would address is an effect called simultaneous contrast which can most easily demonstrated in an indoor lighting scenario, commonly encountered in still life and interiors. Here’s an experiment to observe the effect: Take a white sheet of paper, place a white object on it, and illuminate it with a warm light (approximately 4000K). Ensure there are no objects or walls nearby that could introduce a colour cast from reflected light; any bounced light should match the colour temperature of the primary source. You should notice a relatively cooler hue in the shadows, especially within the cast shadow. Now, replace the warm light with a cool light, and observe the reverse effect: shadows take on a relatively warmer hue compared to the primary light. This optical phenomenon occurs due to the relative perception of colour, known as simultaneous contrast, which is especially significant for painters. It’s a direct result of how human vision functions, whereby changes in light intensity influence perceived colour temperature. “Simultaneous contrast and assimilation refer to the tendencies of the visual appearance of a surface colour to be influenced by adjacent and interspersed colours respectively. Both effects are currently under active scientific investigation as minor breakdowns in colour constancy. Broadly speaking, they reflect that our visual system doesn’t operate as a simple measuring device, transmitting raw light and colour data to the brain. Instead, we perceive colours through comparison. In simultaneous contrast, the appearance of colours shifts away from the surrounding hue in terms of hue, chroma, and lightness.” www.huevaluechroma.com/035.php You said that chroma increases in the shadow, and while this can be true in part, the reality is more nuanced. Observing the shadow side of the terminator, there is often an initial increase in chroma, which then drops off sharply as one moves into the main shadow. In the very darkest areas, where there is little to no light, chroma seems to increase again, taking on a relatively warmer colour temperature. This effect is especially noticeable in outdoor lighting conditions. I believe this phenomenon reflects the peculiarities of human vision rather than something easily measured with a device. This has particular relevance for painters. The practical takeaway is to observe these effects in each unique lighting situation, rather than relying on generalised rules, such as “warm light/cool shadows,” which are often contradicted in practice. Studying light effects in real-world settings provides invaluable training for artists seeking to understand and apply the nuances of human visual perception-far more so than relying on photographic or digital references.

[@Ss-ze2mn]

Absolutely amazing. I’ve always had a hard time with these concepts, but you explain them so well. Would love to see a video on how light interacts with dark skin tones! Seriously one of the best KZbin art channels.

[@johncollado1151]

Color concept has been the bane of existence for me. Your channel has helped extremely in trying to understand that complexity. Thank you for all you do to help.

[@SSS765]

Thank you for addressing and explaining this so thoroughly. I have had this conversation/argument for years, how the rule of thumb ‘warm light equals cool shadows’ is simply not true. This video is SAVED for future reference. 👍🏻😎

[@ac1646]

As an art student from an eighties art school, the tutors wouldn't even help you with color mixing, because in their words; if you can't do it intuitively, you are not talented! Thank you so much for this. 😍

[@greboge]

This kind of content being available for free is just amazing! You are a amazing teacher, Jeremy! Its insane how a good explanation can change the way wee see the world!

[@geoffmoug9881]

Tremendous job of explaining light and bounce light in the shadows. Thankyou. Your videos are very helpful.

[@numinoos]

Excellent tutorial. As a nature and wildlife photographer, I often wrestle with adjusting White Balance when capturing images of birds and monkeys in dense Forrest cover because of this bounce light and subsurface scattering. Thank you.

[@MrS690]

Great video as always. Learning 3D Rendering/Lighting taught me a ton regarding light and shadows for painting.

[@hichamville]

I did the opposite.. I learned a lot about colors .. light n shadow from painting to improve my 3D renderings 😊

[@ninap451]

As a non-artist - this is the most helpful video on light and shadows that I have seen. Thank you.

[@trigestigro4707]

I love your channel, I love lighting and I learn so much from your videos. Great work!

[@MarcoGuadalupi]

This is a very precious, enlightening video. Thanks so much!

[@laurenmorgan-outhisack6341]

I always learn so much from your videos. You are a great teacher

[@ArtisticAurora]

When I was younger, I would always point out that the shadows outdoors were slightly bluish. Everyone thought I was crazy. 😊 I resonated with this video so hard aaaaaa

[@leosoldier123]

And I heard that when we are young our vision is better by detecting the colors, so, maybe for you when you were young it was so clear

[@Alaurks]

please never stop spreading your knowledge. an amazing teacher.

[@alxdeu2008]

I am just lucky to have run into your channel. You are one of the few best ones who enlighten me in light subject. And I highly appreciate your giving back what you have learned in those so many years of experience in the field , back into those who need your experience and valuable information into the world , I just simply say " Thank You ",, You touch onto lives somewhere on this earth planet,

[@changemymind06]

This is the best video on lighting I've found and sadly you're only the 2nd artist I've seen on YT who properly explains this. Your real life examples were extremely helpful! It was cool to see how much the light bounced from your hand when it was by your face (when you had the warm & blue light) and you immediately see a patch of warm light in the blue. Thank you for making such a great video with such wonderful examples!

[@pablo-zn1mg]

being a cg artist for over a decade it was a bit silly for me to hear what the 'myth' was about. But, I loved the explanation on why it's not the case and what to pay attention to. Thanks for sharing your knowledge Jeremy !

[@ivangraypiece]

your teaching is so good and well done! thank you so much for making this a public video for all people around the globe! :)

[@kindbutangry]

i love you so much. i love how passionate you are when explaining this stuff. ❣

[@InkyIsScared]

Loved the demonstration. Was fun to watch you point at your face and have your hand reflect light back onto the shadow side of your face! Even before you brought in the reflectors.

[@toddelliott3239]

Excellent tutorial!!! Covered so much as efficiently as possible. I want to know what lighting system you’re using!?!? Incredible demonstrations 👏

[@SavMortem]

You are always such a good teacher. You break down complex subjects so well in a way that they make sense. Thank you!!!

[@samreevesartist]

Extremely helpful. I need to rewatch about 50 times.

[@Nakhab]

Doesn't "local color" plays its part as well? Human skin can reflect virtually any color, but, let us say, synthetic vivid blue jacket can not (or can it?). So what if an object can barely reflect whatever secondary color there is?

[@Foervraengd]

Reflected light is more or less just a suuuuuper diffused reflection, human skin has sweat and oils and translucency which adds to the effect. So if this synthetic super blue jacket has a glossy finish it would probably show more of a tinted reflection, but best solution is to just get hold of this material and see for yourself IRL.

[@LightingMentor]

Yes, local color and material play a HUGE part in this too! Just more things to learn about light and color. It's all so amazing to study in my opinion

[@ninja_tony]

@@LightingMentor Perfect explanation, and this is why I feel like every artist should download Blender or a similar 3D program and play around with materials and different surfaces, even if they have no interest in 3D art itself. Because it’s a great way to learn how light interacts with different types of objects and materials.

[@IraKane]

One of the best explanations i've seen ever about this subject matter. Really enlightening😁

[@remidiy_]

I genuinely love how you explain things, there's a reason I always refer people here lol

[@stevenwmclean]

Nobody explains light better. Thanks Jeremy.

[@kissa3168]

Truth. I don't even do color, and I still watch Jeremy's videos because they explain light and shadow so well.

[@sno7599]

I think deep down I knew this but not actively enough to understand its implications. Tysm!

[@markdinsdale4869]

More knowledge in this video then i ever got in 3 years of art college. Hope this video blows uo your channel

[@Fairyyoshi]

I'm not even finished the video and I've already learned more in 7 minutes than I've learned in years.

[@Nuriyoxuku]

Thanks once again for this informative knowledge I'll never forget this and I'm glad I've been corrected because I was also told by many other artist that warm light = cool shadows.

[@dorigusu2577]

you are a godsend sir. I've gone through so many diff tutorials and courses, but your one video helped clear up so much about "shadow" color and temperature in general!!

[@BrandiWineRn]

Best description and examples that support what u are saying! Thank you bc I have looked for these answers and was tired of all these supposed rules which I found to be wrong but I am very new to art . Thank you

[@JasonKey3D]

excellent demonstrations, great stuff Jeremy 👏

[@nellow461]

This short film is really cool and useful, but one slight drawback is that if human faces are used as examples, the semi-transparency of the skin can reveal the color of blood vessels underneath, creating an illusion of warm and cool variations under a single light source. I think it would be better to use opaque materials for the examples, such as a plaster sphere.

[@av3ngers17]

what a gorgeous and so well made video. I'm in awe. Thank you so much for spreading your invaluable knowledge!

[@Pasunreve212]

Oh gosh this is the BEST color-lighting theory explanation video I’d ever seen!!! Thanks so much for the video!!❤

[@rickblankenship7016]

Excellent analysis! You have destroyed the myth!

[@lukmigindnuforhelved]

Another great video. I think it is also worth mentioning that artists can exaggerate eg the temperature of the shadows in order to make the light more intense.

[@stephaniechafe694]

Really awesome to see so many practical examples in nature, I still got so much to learn. Such a helpful demonstration!

[@abbyjentson2563]

Thank you for what you do. You’re really helping me be more intentional with my color and lighting choices!

[@irismuddyhehe]

the moment around 1:28 where you step forward and how it lined up roughly with the end of the previous segment in the most awesome way, that was magic, movie magic!

[@davidlouk8409]

Fantastic explanation. Love the shadows are black until a light source effects those shadows introducing color. Great video.

[@JudiChristopher]

OHMYGOSH>... This Video is GREAT... LOVE LOVE LOVE This video... EXCELLENT.. Thank YOU so much for all your hard work... "BRAVO Darling... BRAVO"

[@YassineCherifi]

you always say things that really change our view entirely I never thought of it that way till now, thank you so much Jeremy 🙏❤

[@BrandiWineRn]

I would love to learn more about the different kind of lights and how to better use the soft light! Thank you

[@jozseflaszlo7445]

I'm so glad to be alive to see this video! Thank you for making it, brilliant and very helpful!

[@andredemony]

Once outside it is interesting to see that in the first scene you describe the wall next to you as grey, when it looks quite green - and your face predominantly the opposing colour - Magenta. This is an important concept also: An image is more often defined by what it seems rather than what it is. Perception and how to use colour theory to shape that perception towards the mood you intend is a key concept.

[@Misana]

The most valuable video I've seen in forever. Thank you so much for sharing this with us.

[@jeirawat]

Thank you for your knowledge. You encouraged many people and enlightened new way of learning process every time. I hope every of your videos are hit more than million views. Please keep going and stay healthy, stay hydrated, our mentor!

[@Grondhammar]

Great content, very well presented. The excellent demos also helped me realise that secondary lighting is critical to the mood of a piece.

[@stellawolfstudio]

What a wonderful video, thank you so much! Incredibly helpful, thoughtful, informative. Especially benefitted from your visual examples of bounced, diffuse, etc. light sources.

[@smurfette_blues7922]

Another genuinely insightful and helpful lesson! Thank you!!!

[@tessellatiaartilery8197]

This was fascinating. And the explanation of real examples was highly instructive. Thank you very much for this excellent tutorial.

[@Karin029_]

Fantastic! I love the hands on and practical applications to your explanations

[@LukmanHakim-bp9he]

Man, thank you so much for this knowledge and presentation!! Your presentation is clear and easy to follow and understood!

[@davidjonnelson4342]

This was helpful! Really useful information

[@bobongler]

Thank you so much for your efforts in making and sharing this. Your profundity on the subject shines through your words (pun intended).

[@MsAuriauri]

awesome, thanks for taking us on a little lighting adventure in the forrest!

[@TheADHDM]

This is the channel I've been looking for. Thank you.

[@Bubleone1]

It's so very kind of you to share your knowledge on this subject! I truly appreciate it very much! Thank you!!! Greetings from someone who always wants to learn🔦..... (I'm from The Netherlands) 🎨

[@GabrielleCataldo]

According to Nathan Fowkes in his color and light class, if you have a colored light source the highlights on an object will be the color of the light source and then as the light drops off, it mixes with the local color of the object. So, with a white light source, the colors would obviously increase in saturation as the light drops off if the object isn’t white or gray. But if the light source is colored, such as red, and the object is gray, the color would drop in saturation was it approached the terminator. It appears warmer on your face when you use the yellow light source because of subsurface scattering of the skin and the warmth of blood under the skin.

[@slamotte]

what an amazing demonstration! light is such a wonderful subject to study

[@ItchaBoi]

What "warm light cool shadows" or vice versa does do, is provide additional contrast, which is a solid artistic choice

[@iblobliboo8501]

Thanks you so much for making this excellent video! It's really enlightening!

[@joelweyhe6801]

Excellent, live-example way to demonstrate the concept!

[@syaning_]

Thank you for this well produced video Mentor Jeremy! You always deliver amazing content that blows my mind every time. You make color theory such a fun and not so overwhelming topic for us.

[@dalmajikkot90]

I've never seen this topic covered in such an easy to understand way yet blow my mind this much 😲

[@Nerijus_nc]

great video. maybe it’s important to mention/add that light saturation at terminator is much stronger on skin than on other matterials, due to subsurface scattering. Artists frequently add loads of saturated red or orange in that area to make skin feel alive. Of course it’s always an artistic choice :)

[@ChillinDylanX]

Love your channel learning so much! Thank you! 🙏🏻

[@DanielCote-ke6sg]

Jeremy, these observations are so accurate and inspiring, I learned a lot, and you are a great teacher, thank you. I will watch all your other videos for sure.

[@downesart]

one of the best videos on light and colour i have ever watched

[@felix_xb]

Fantastic presentation aids in the video, really drove the point home so easily.

[@gladiatorscoops4907]

Hey Jeremy, So really weird, I was a big fan of your artwork when I first started out in digital art about 15 years ago, but I completely lost track of your work and I hate to admit it, but over the years I forgot your name too. It was only the other day when I thought to myself "I wonder what happened to that brilliant artist that painted that amazing Cottage in the woods?" then today came across this channel, but it was only looking at your video thumbnails I thought I recognised your art style, then I found your name, then I realised! So great to see you are doing well with the YT channel and hope everything is going well for you in your career too. Thank you for being a huge inspiration especially in the early part of my art journey!

[@MatoCreates]

amazing and valuable knowledge for visual artists :)