How to draw a shadow at different times of the day. How to draw shadows? Drawing Basics

Yellow - very light color, even if it is dark yellow, and the shadows on yellow objects are also relatively light. It is very important to draw them carefully so as not to make them too dark. Unfortunately, the colors commonly used for shadows - Payne's Gray or Neutral Tint - are too dark for yellow. Lighten them by mixing with yellow possible, but it will require large number water and special skill, it is almost impossible to do it correctly. In addition, the shade must be chosen correctly. The color of the shadow should not only be darker, but also more muted and neutral than the color of the object in the light. It is very important that the color does not contain blue, which will make the shadow of a yellow object green.

Solving the problem of shadows from yellow objects

I use Davy's grey, it is very light and soft, so there is no need to add a lot of water. However, he still gives green tint. I add a little complimentary, that is, the opposite to color wheel, colors. When mixed, complementary colors will balance each other out and create more natural tones. For yellow, that color would be violet, so I'll choose Cobalt Violet Light. I mix it with Davy's grey, before applying it to a Winsor Lemon daffodil petal, to create a soft, natural shadow.

Top tip– mix two complementary colors to obtain natural shades.

To make the drawings look like real ones, professionals recommend using shadows. With their help, the drawings will have contrasts, depth and the effect of mobility. If you draw a shadow correctly, the picture turns out to be more fascinating and pleasing to the eye.

Stage 1

We will prepare the necessary equipment. You can start drawing armed with with a simple pencil. If you want to get a shadow, you need to purchase pencils designed for working with shadows. They cost little and are sold in most supermarkets. It is advisable to take paper that is stiffer and can absorb shadows.

• Today, the range of pencils used in drawing is impressive. There are plenty of hard and soft pencils on supermarket shelves. This property is indicated on the surface of the weapon. Soft pencils are marked with a “B” sign and their sizes are 8B, 6B, 4B and 2B. Especially hard ones are marked 2B. The “H” sign is inherent in pencils with hard graphites. Based on this, 8H indicates hardness, and 2H indicates softness.
• Natural shadows are obtained using soft pencils. Pencils marked HB used by schoolchildren can be soft or medium hard. They can also be used.
• It is difficult to draw a shadow using smooth or hard paper. You need to take paper intended for drawing.

Stage 2

Let's start with a linear sketch of your subject. It is best to use a real object or a photograph of the object to complete the task. It is important that the object does not move and that you have enough time to draw.

• Take a look around. Perhaps an idea for a drawing nearby. Good subjects to draw would be kitchen appliances, clocks or flowers. You can also draw what you collect, for example, figurines.
• You need to use negative space in order to make the contours of the object more precise. Negative space is the space that fills everything around the selected object.
• In the case when a photograph is used to draw something, it must first be made diachrome. Then the shadows will come out clear.

Stage 3

We choose achromatic colors. The spectrum of achromatic colors starts with white and ends with black. Between them is gray of different shades. Most often, artists use no more than 5 variants of gray.

• To create a scale of achromatic colors, you need to start by drawing a rectangle. It can be placed in the corner of the picture or on an unclean sheet of paper.
• The rectangle needs to be divided into 5 segments and numbered. It doesn't matter if you get more pieces. Then there will be more shades of gray, and the drawing will be more varied and interesting.
• Picture 5 options gray. It is preferable to start with white and use black towards the end.
• It is not recommended to use black and white colors, if the object is not exposed to direct light rays. Stick to gray tones only.

Stage 4

We are looking for light sources. It is known that shadows are created when light hits something, so the darkest elements will be located at some distance from the light.

• Pay close attention to the reflections, because they will be very bright in the drawing.
• The light source will contribute to the shadows that need to be captured. The presence of shadows contributes to the realism of your work. It is very important not to forget to depict them.

Stage 5

Choosing a method for shading. A lot of factors influence the further choice of shadow. This issue should be taken seriously. The most commonly used is shading with straight lines, and shading with crosses and circles is also often used.

• Straight line shading is considered to be when the artist draws many lines that are parallel and spaced at a minimum distance.
• Hatching is a great technique for objects that have no texture, as well as hair.
• When cross-hatching, toning is done. To do this, draw straight lines that intersect. This will help make the drawing darker.
• Circular hatching is achieved by drawing circles. Variations are possible when drawing using this method.

Stage 6

Making the first shadows. Don't start painting with hard or dark shadows, they are more difficult to eliminate. You should draw softly and slowly fill in the right places.

• Do not touch unpainted areas of the work. Let them remain white.
• Compare the image and the object as often as possible to make sure that the shadows you are drawing are correct, in the right places.

Stage 7

Let's add a couple of shadow balls. During the drawing process, you need to darken the work by overlaying balls
shadows As a result, the difference between dark and light spaces will be better visible.

• Use the achromatic tone scale. This will help to apply identical variations of gray to the drawing.
• There's no need to rush. Drawing should resemble the procedure for developing black and white film. Patience will help you achieve the desired result.
• By deepening the shadows, you will be able to make the contours of the drawing less noticeable. Reality proves that almost no object has black outlines. This should also be shown in the figure.

Stage 8

Let's blend the shadows. It is necessary to shade the contours by shading. It will make the shadows smooth and realistic. You need to hold the shading just like you would a pencil, and press gently. The interesting thing is that you can start from the very beginning at any time.

• Nothing bad will happen if you use your fingers if there is no blending.
• The eraser will help brighten the areas that were covered up.

• In order to avoid stains on the drawing, you need to put a sheet of paper under your hand.
• Keeping the pencil horizontal will help you get natural shadows.
• It is best to use vinyl rubber to remove errors. It does not spoil the paper and will leave the drawing itself intact.
• When drawing, there should be good lighting so that the difference between the shadows is more noticeable.

Example of drawing a shadow

In this article we will tell you how to draw shadows with a pencil correctly. IN artistic practice the ability to correctly sense the dark and light sides will good help in any drawing. If you want to make the sketch visual and realistic, you need to give it volume.

Constructing and drawing figures such as a cylinder, ball, cone, cube is a rather tedious and uninteresting task. However, it is tasks like these that are the first step to understanding the volume of a geometric shape, as well as to the ability to depict its dark and light sides - that is, to the ability to draw shadows with a pencil step by step.

Light and shadow should be realistic and pleasing to the eye. This will give the drawings contrast, depth and a sense of movement. How to learn to draw shadows so that your drawings look more alive, attractive and interesting?

A little theory

Have you ever wondered what allows us to see the shape of objects? Let's reveal a secret: this is a collision of light and shadow.

If we place an object on a table in a room without windows and turn off the light, we will not see any form. If we illuminate an object with a very bright lamp or spotlight, then again we will not see its shape. It can only be seen by light that collides with shadow.

Neither light nor shadow falls on objects at random. There are certain patterns. They allow us to guess how the light will be located on the object, on its forms, and where the shadow will begin.

And the person who draws needs to know these patterns.

In drawing there are the following elements chiaroscuro:

Let's consider each of them in order.

A flare is a spot of light that is located on a convex or flat glossy surface and is obtained due to the strong illumination of the object.

Light is the surfaces of an object that are brightly illuminated.

Penumbra is a weak shadow. It occurs if an object is illuminated not by one, but by several light sources. In addition, it forms on surfaces that face the light source at a slight angle.

Shadow is those parts of an object that are dimly lit.

A falling shadow is one that an object casts on the plane on which it stands.

And his own is the one that is on the unlit side of it.

A reflex is a weak spot of light that is located in the shadow area. It is formed by rays that are reflected from other objects nearby. The depiction of these light gradations allows the artist to visually depict the shape of an object on a sheet of paper, convey its volume and degree of illumination.

Do these rules work for computer graphics? Yes. Computer graphics- this is the same drawing.

Step 1: Selecting the Right Materials.

First of all, you need to choose the right pencil. Of course, you can paint shadows with charcoal, sanguine, gouache, and acrylic. But at first it is better to limit yourself to a pencil. For shadows, special drawing pencils are used. They are sold in sets. Budget option can be found in any stationery store. There are many types of drawing pencils. There are ones with a soft (M, 2M, 3M, ..., 8M, 9M) lead, and there are ones with a hard one (T, 2T, 3T, ..., 8T, 9T). In sets from foreign manufacturers, M is replaced by B, and T by H. To depict shadows, a set of 3T, 2T, T, TM, M, 2M and 3M will be enough. It is better to use hard pencils to depict light, and soft ones to depict shadows. This way the drawing will look more natural and will be easier to draw.

Let's talk about paper.

Too smooth sheets, like the ones we print on, are not suitable for drawing. Don't use paper that is too hard. It will be difficult to draw shadows on it. It is best to use special drawing sheets, which are sold in a folder at office supply stores.

Step2 : linear sketch.

First of all, make a line sketch of what you want to draw. It is advisable to do this from life, but you can also use a photograph of the object. The most important thing is that the object you choose is motionless. In this case, you will have a lot of time to sketch it.
Take a close look at your home environment. You can draw flowers, watches, kitchen utensils, and items of clothing. All of these are excellent subjects for sketching.
If you use a photograph, it is better to print it in black and white. This way you will be able to more accurately depict the outline and shadows.

Step 3: Achromatic Colors.

When working with a pencil, all achromatic colors are at your disposal. They start out white and end in black, with a few shades of gray in the middle.

How to create an achromatic scale?

Draw a rectangle: this can be done on a separate sheet of paper or in the corner of your drawing.
Divide this rectangle into five to seven equal parts, then number them. The very first rectangle will be white, and the last one will be black. The parts between them need to be painted over. different shades gray, dividing them by tone.
As a result, you will have something like your pencil palette: the first rectangle is white, the second is light gray, the third is medium gray, the fourth is dark gray and so on, and the last one is the most dark tone, which a pencil can give.

Step 4: Shadow Theory.

To do this, it is necessary to understand their nature. Find the main light source. Observe that the lightest places are often closest to the light, the dark ones are further away, and the shadows fall against the light. Particular attention should be paid to reflections, as they can be the brightest place of the object chosen for drawing.

Step 5: Choosing a Hatching Method.

The shading is applied over the pencil sketch. Choose the way you will shade your sketch depending on the subject, the light source, and the type of drawing.

There are many types of shadow shading, and the most popular of them are straight, circular and cross.

Drawing a set is called a straight line parallel lines as close to each other as possible. This method is great for objects without texture and for drawing hair.

For circular shading, you need to draw many small circles. This shading can be used to create interesting texture by scattering circles and adding lines to them. In addition, you can more clearly show the density of the object you are depicting by placing the circles close to each other.

Shading an object by drawing intersecting lines is cross-hatching. This method is great for adding depth to a drawing.

Consider the direction of the hatching and the shape of the object. Straight lines on rounded surfaces will not give the effect of volume; rounded surfaces must be hatched in the direction of the curvature of the planes.

Step 6: pen test.

Try making shadows. Since your drawing is still initial stage, you should not make them too dark. This way you can easily erase them if necessary. Draw, gradually filling in the places that are needed, and leaving the lightest places white.

As you paint, compare your work to the subject or a photograph of it to make sure you're putting the shadows in the right place.

Step 7: Patience and step by step work.

add shadows in several layers. They must be gradually darkened, layer by layer. There should be a noticeable contrast between dark and light areas.

Do not forget to use the achromatic scale: the drawing should not be in the same gray tones.

There's no need to rush. The process of shading shadows is similar to developing black and white film: it must happen gradually. Patience is your key to success and beautiful drawings.
The more you deepen the shadows in the drawing, the less noticeable its contours will become. And that’s right, because in real life almost nothing has a black outline. The same should be reflected in your drawing.

Step 8: Shading the Shadows.

Now blend the shadows in your drawing. It is necessary to make them more realistic and smooth. You need to control the pressure so that it is not too strong and too weak. Blend until you are satisfied with the result.

Buy special shading sticks from an art store. If you don't have shading, you can use a small piece of paper. Change paper frequently.

An eraser will help you highlight those places that you accidentally covered up. This could be a highlight, or a contour that is not completely hidden under the shading layer.

The main thing is to remember that most people who draw, including the most famous artists, at the initial stage creative path made mistakes.

Between your hand and the paper you are drawing on you can put blank slate printing paper: this way you will avoid stains on the drawing.

To avoid dirtying the sketch and correcting mistakes, it is better to use a vinyl eraser. Erasers made from this material do not damage paper and erase pencil marks well.

Don't use your finger to blend the shading. Your finger quickly gets dirty when you blend dark areas and then stains lighter areas.

To make the difference between light and shadow more noticeable, you need to use good lighting.

It is better to hold the pencil at a smaller angle to the plane of the paper so that you can draw with the side of the lead rather than its tip. This will make the shadows more natural.

Draw as often as possible, hone your skills. Only through repeated training, starting with simple shapes, you can achieve a high level of skill (see photo).

I wish you creative success!

Plan:

7.1. Basics of Shadow Theory

7.2. Shadows from a point, line and flat figure

7.3. Shadow falling from one figure to another

7.4. Shadows of geometric solids

7.5. Shadows of intersecting polyhedra (from the building)

7.6. Shadows on building facades

Basics of Shadow Theory

Shadows are used to make projection drawings more visible. Shadows are especially widely used when decorating architectural projects, as well as for solving a number of practical problems (for example, to determine the illumination of the external or internal parts of a structure under certain conditions, to determine the size of a structure by the shadow it casts, etc.).

There are own and falling shadows.

OWN is called a shadow that is obtained on the unlit surface of an object (or object) when illuminated by some light source (Fig. 72).

Rice. 72

FALLING is a shadow cast by an object on a projection plane, or appearing on the surface of an object due to the fact that another object is located in the path of light rays.

If an object is illuminated by a light source located at a finite distance from it (a torch, lamp, candle), then the combination of light rays incident on the object forms a cone or pyramid. Such a shadow is called a TORCH.

If the light source is at infinity, then the combination of light rays forms a cylinder or prism. The shadow under these conditions is called SOLAR.

DIRECTION OF LIGHT RAYS. When constructing shadows in orthogonal projections, the direction l rays of light are usually taken parallel to the diagonal of a cube, the faces of which are parallel to the projection planes (Fig. 73).

Rice. 73

Diagonal of a cube AB forms angles with the projection planes equal to 35 o 16", and its projections are inclined to the planes H, V, and W at an angle of 45 o.

When constructing shadows in axonometry, the direction of light rays parallel to the diagonal of the cube does not always give good location chiaroscuro; in such cases, you should choose a different direction that ensures the expressiveness of the drawing.

1. Shadows from a point, line and flat figure

FALLING SHADOW FROM A POINT

Let's imagine a material point A(Fig. 74), located in space above the plane H, which is illuminated by light rays coming from infinity parallel to a given direction l. Dot A will delay one of them and cast a shadow ray that will intersect the H plane at the point A T ". This point will be the shadow of the point A.

In other words, the shadow of a point is the trace of a shadow ray.

So, in order to construct a shadow falling from a point on any plane or surface, it is necessary to draw a straight line through this point, parallel to the direction of the rays of light, and determine the point of intersection of this straight line with the plane or surface on which the shadow falls.

In Fig. 75a in orthogonal projections and in Fig. 75b in axonometry the shadows falling on the planes H, V and P( n m) from points A,IN And WITH.

Rice. 74

Rice. 75

Shadow from a point A falls on the plane H at the point A T "(this point is the horizontal trace of the beam AA T).

Shadow from a point IN falls on plane V at point B T "" (this point is the frontal trace of the ray AB T).

Shadow of a point in axonometry determined as a result of the intersection of the ray with its secondary projection.

Shadow IN T "" (in axonometry) can be plotted as the point of intersection of the ray BB T with its frontal projection B""B T "" or using horizontal beam projection.

Shadow from a point WITH falls on the plane P ( n m) at point WITH TP ( WITH TP " , With TP ” ), which is determined as a result of the intersection of the ray SS T with a given plane P using a horizontally projecting plane.

FALLING SHADOW FROM A STRAIGHT LINE

The shadow cast from a straight line consists of the cast shadows from all its points. Rays passing through all points of a line form a ray plane, and a shadow from a straight line is the line of intersection of the ray plane with the plane or surface on which the shadow falls (that is, the trace of the ray plane).

The shadow falling from a line onto a plane is a straight line, so to construct it it is enough to construct shadows from two points belonging to this line (Fig. 76).

Rice. 76

In Fig. 77 a shadow was constructed on the projection plane from segment AB in a complex drawing.

Rice. 77

Dot shadows A And B in this example fall on the same projection plane V, therefore, to construct the shadow of the segment AB it is enough to connect the obtained points with each other A T "" and IN T "" straight line.

EXAMPLE. Construct a drop shadow on H and V from line segmentCD(Fig. 78, 79).

1)using an imaginary shadow(Fig. 78, 79).

To do this, construct the shadow of a segment on one of the projection planes, assuming that the second does not exist. In the figure, first, the shadow of a segment on the plane H ( WITH T" D T "). The constructed shadow intersects the axis OH at the point TO X, at this point the shadow will break and move from one plane to another (to the point WITH T "").

2)using a shadow from an intermediate point(Fig. 80).

Rice. 80

The drawing shows the breaking point TO X is determined using the shadow of an arbitrary intermediate point E(E T "").

Shadows from lines in private positions

EXAMPLE. In orthogonal projections, segments of a particular position are specified AB,CD And E.F.. Construct the shadows falling from these segments on the projection planes H and V (Fig. 81).

Rice. 81

1. The segment AB occupies a vertical position, therefore the rays passing through all its points form a vertical (horizontally projecting) ray plane , which will intersect the plane H along the line  H, and the plane V - along a vertical straight line m=m"". Consequently, the shadow of a vertical straight line on a horizontal plane coincides with the horizontal projection (trace) of the ray plane.

But, since the horizontal projection of the ray plane is parallel to the horizontal projection of the light ray, then to construct a shadow on the horizontal projection plane (from the vertical line), it is enough to draw a horizontal projection of the light ray through the horizontal projection of the line (point).

2. Segment CD is perpendicular to plane V, so the radial plane passing through it is a frontally projecting plane.

In orthogonal projections, the shadow of the line CD on the V plane coincides with the projection of the ray plane.

3. Segment E.F. parallel to plane V. Its shadow E T "" F T "" is parallel and equal to the given segment.

IN CONCLUSIONS:

1 . The shadow of a line perpendicular to the plane coincides with the orthogonal projection of the light beam onto this plane.

2 . The shadow falling on a plane from a line segment parallel to this plane is parallel and equal to the line segment. In a complex drawing, the projection of the shadow is equal and parallel to the projection of the segment.

SHADOW OF A FLAT FIGURE

(opaque plate)

To construct a falling shadow from a flat figure bounded by a polygon, it is enough to construct shadows falling from all sides of the polygon.

Figure 82 shows a shadow cast from a triangle. ABC on the projection plane H and V. Shadow from the vertex A falls on plane V, and from the top IN and peaks WITH- on the plane H. Therefore, the shadow from the side Sun falls on one plane H and represents a straight line, and the shadows from the sides AB And AC fall on two planes and represent broken lines.

Rice. 82

Falling shadows from the sides AB And AC can be constructed using intermediate points (as in drawing 81) or using an imaginary shadow ( A T "), falling from the point A to the back half-plane H. Having obtained a triangle A T.H. IN T.H. WITH TH , determined on the axis OH break points 1 and 2 of the falling shadow and connect them to the actual shadow A TV from point A on plane V. The side of a flat figure facing the shadow pillar is in the shadow, that is, in flat figures one should distinguish between the illuminated and unlit sides. In other words, a flat figure always has its own shadow.

To determine the illumination of the sides of the plane of the triangle, we use the following technique: walking around the perimeter of the triangle clockwise on the projection under study, we notice letter order, indicating the vertices, and compare them with the order of letters, which is obtained by walking clockwise around the contour of the falling shadow. A coincidence in the order of letters means that the illuminated side of the triangle is visible on a given projection, a discrepancy means that the unlit side of the plane is visible.

In the figure, the contour of the falling shadow when traversed clockwise gives the order of the letters A T "" WITH T "" IN T "". The same order ( A""WITH""IN"") is obtained on the frontal projection. Therefore, the illuminated side is visible on V. Horizontal projection has reverse order letters ( A"IN"WITH"). This means that on the horizontal projection the unlit side of the plane of the triangle (the side in its own shadow) is facing us.

The same technique can be used in axonometry (Fig. 83).

Rice. 83

DISC SHADOW

(circles)

If a flat figure casting a shadow is bounded by a curved line, then the rays passing through the points of this curve form a cylindrical ray surface. At the intersection with the plane on which the shadow falls, this surface gives the outline of the falling shadow of a given figure.

If the plane of the figure is parallel to the plane on which the shadow falls, then the shadow is equal to the figure itself (since the bases of the cylinder parallel to each other are equal).

In Fig. Figure 84 shows the construction of a shadow from a circle parallel to plane H onto plane H. The contour of the shadow is a circle of the same radius. To construct a shadow, just find the shadow from the center WITH.

Rice. 84

To construct a shadow falling from a curved line onto an arbitrarily located plane, one of two methods can be used.

1. A sufficiently large number of points are outlined on the curved line from which the falling shadow is constructed. The resulting points (falling shadow) are connected to each other by a smooth curved line.

2 . A polygon is described around the curved line, a falling shadow from the polygon is constructed, and the shadow of the curved line fits into it.

In Fig. 85 to construct a falling shadow from a circle parallel to plane V onto plane H, a square circumscribed around it is used ABCD. First, a falling shadow is constructed from the sides of the square, its diagonals and lines passing through the center WITH parallel to the sides of the square, and then fits a curve (ellipse) into the resulting parallelogram. In the figure, the ellipse passes through eight points that simultaneously belong to the falling shadows from the circle, sides and diagonals of the square.

If the shadow of a curved line falls on two intersecting planes, then it will have a break at the line of intersection of the planes.

Anyone who works with any graphic images, quite often you have to add a shadow to the picture. Someone needs to add clip art elements to the picture. Someone cut out an object from a photo and paste it into another background. The picture turns out more realistic if you add a shadow to the inserted figure.

The shadow of objects can look different. Its appearance depends on the light source, on how the source is located in relation to the object. When creating a collage from parts different photos you need to carefully look at which side the lighting is in each of the fragments. And where do the shadows fall, if they exist, of course.

The easiest way in Photoshop is to create a shadow from a flat object raised above the surface. Moreover, located parallel to the surface. To do this, use the Drop Shadow layer effect. Read more about.

How to create a shadow using layer effects in Photoshop?

This shadow is usually the shadow of text raised above the surface. If they want to highlight it, give it a volume effect. All you need to do is place the object from which the shadow falls on a separate transparent layer. For this layer, set the layer effect to Drop Shadow and that's it. This layer casts a shadow on the layer below.

To apply a layer effect in Photoshop, double-click on the layer name. In the Layer Style dialog box, select Drop Shadow (in some versions of Photoshop this term is translated as External Shadow).

To get a regular shadow, as in the picture, to the left and just below the text, set the following parameters:

With other parameters

another result:

Try experimenting with the settings in this dialog box and get your own ideas.

But this is the simplest option, but how to make a shadow on the ground from standing man? This effect is often simply necessary to add realism.

How to draw a shadow from a person in Photoshop

A cast shadow follows the contour of an object, but not exactly, but distortedly. If the light comes vertically from above, it will be small under the object. If this is the shadow of a person at noon, then it is under his feet. If the sun is setting, then the shadows are long and elongated.

Try creating a shadow of a person using the example of this lesson. You can use these images.

Open the cook's photo. In this photo you can see that the main light is coming from the left, therefore the shadow will be on the right.

Double click on a layer to unlock it. OK. Using any suitable selection tool, you need to select the object for which you will create a shadow and copy it to a new transparent layer. IN in this case the background is uniform, so the easiest way is to select it with the Magic Wand tool ( Wand) background, then select Select>Inverse. The human figure is highlighted. Copy the cook to a new layer (you can use the keyboard shortcut ).

Without removing the selection, create a new layer (Ctrl+N). Go to it and fill the selection with black. Name this layer Shadow.

The result should be three layers. The bottom layer is the original image, the background layer, we won’t touch it. In this photo, the background is simply white; there was no need to worry about preserving it. But your background may be different, and you will need it. The shadow should be above the background layer, but below the person's image.

If your layer order is not the same, change it by simply dragging the layers to the desired place.

For the Shadow layer, set the Opacity to 60%.

Apply the transformation command Edit > Transform > Distort (Edit > Transformation > Distortion). Move the markers to the side and down to “put” the shadow “on the floor” or on another surface. Be careful not to let it come off your feet. If it doesn’t work out perfectly, it’s okay, you can wipe it with an eraser.

When the shadow is positioned naturally, complete the transformation by pressing Enter.

Create a layer mask - click the button at the bottom of the Layers palette.

Make sure the mask is highlighted. Draw a Gradient from the top right corner (or whichever side your shadow is on) to the bottom left corner. What is this for? The shadow is denser at the bottom at the feet, and the farther away, the lighter. Mask with gradient fill slightly hides the top of the shadow.

And finally, apply Filter> Blur> Gaussian Blur (Filter - Blur - Gaussian) and set the blur you need for the shadow layer.

What if you need to cast a shadow not on a uniform background, but on grass, for example?

Our shadow is translucent, the grass shines through a little. Layers are used to add realism. For the layer with the shadow, set Soft Light (Soft light) or Multiply (Multiplication) if the shadow should be contrasting.

Here's the result:

Using shadows to create an interesting effect in a photo.

The idea is that the shadow does not correspond to reality, but reflects the essence of the object.

For example, the big boss is sitting in a chair, and the shadow on the wall is a jester in a cap. Or the person in the photo smiles affably at the interlocutor, and his shadow looms menacingly over him.

Open two photos in Photoshop, the one to which we will add a shadow effect and the one that we decided to turn into a shadow. We use the second photo as a template, so you can take an image of any quality.

Remove the background from the image to create a shadow and create it on a new layer in the same way as you did above.

Then copy the created image into the first photo. Photo sizes may vary, so to adjust them, use the transformation command Edit>Transform>Scale (Edit>Transform>Scaling).

The shadow created should be behind the object, but above the background. Therefore, the object itself must be selected in any suitable way and duplicated in a new layer.
Here is the result.