Why shadows are so important in character art

Shadows can be a powerful resource for any artist, and that includes for character art. While areas of relative darkness are vital for conveying depth and for generating atmosphere, they also serve another function: they allow the artist to direct the viewer's gaze.

Take the artwork below. Here the Austrian concept artist Jenny Brozek guides our eye to her character’s face with the assistance of some sharp wedges. There are four characters in the scene, but the face of the character, named X, is the clear focal point and the first thing we notice.

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Jenny created this piece during a workshop at Underpaint Academy with Victor Maury, where she explored the various techniques that are used in League of Legends splash art. One of her goals was to design a strong composition that subtly forms the shape of the name of her character: a puppeteer called X who is on a mission to capture escaped demons.

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“I used wedges – sharp shadow shapes that accentuate form – to guide the viewer’s eye,” Jenny explains. “His face and hands have the highest contrast and detail, while the rest of the painting supports the flow without competing for attention.

“This project was a jump into cold water for me as I’d never dared to try this type of illustration before, but I learned so much in the process,” Jenny adds.

Jenny is lead concept artist at Purple Lamp. She loves to paint whimsical characters and magical worlds for video games with detailed, colourful environments intended to make players feel like they’ve stepped into a dream.

You can see more of Jenny's work on her ArtStation profile.

Inspired to jump into cold water yourself? See our guides to the best digital art software and the best drawing tablets.

For more inspiration, see our feature on what is concept art? and our character design tips.

This article originally appeared in ImagineFX. Subscribe to ImagineFX to never miss an issue. Print and digital subscriptions are available.