Okay, i am currently working on some concept art for a possible iphone game. My question is the following.... How do i draw shadows? btw, i might have more questions later on..
It depends on what the ground looks like (flat, bumpy, against a wall, etc), the position of the sun is also a factor. Also, are you drawing shadows on an object or for an object with shadows on the ground?
Shadows are definitely very tricky to get when you're learning drawing. I'm very much in the beginner/intermediate range too, so it's the one thing I keep struggling with. What I've found useful to know is the concepts behind light and shadows. You'll find great theory in Loomis' books - Creative Illustration and Successful Drawing (http://www.placidchaos.com/AM/index.php/2006/02/21/andrew_loomis) Knowing the theory helps a lot, so check these out.
The no.1 rule for shading is you cannot be afraid of showing white parts and you cannot be afraid of showing very, very dark parts. It cannot just be different shades of gray. And I hope you're using a 4B and a 2B pencil. No HB crap.
There's no easy explanation for shadows. It depends on the type of shadow. Your best bet is to go out on a sunny day (and indoors because the light acts differently) and spend time examining and drawing shadows. That's how we did it in art school. There are rules to shadows (if you want to get advanced with it), but careful examination is the best way to understand it. If you're drawing black and white, remember to only draw shadows. Think about that and it'll start making sense.
2B/4B are different types of pencils. The shadows you draw also completely depend on what style you're going with in the drawing. Par example, cell-shaded graphics have a very high light/dark contrast, so everything is pretty much black or white.
