Question for Artists and Art Students

[Adelheid]

Today someone babbled at me about something which I personally think is a load of honk, but I thought I'd better get a second opinion (and some ammunition) before I start an argument.

You can tell if an artist is right handed or left handed by looking at which side they put the light source in their pictures; Right handed people put it on the right and left handed people put it on the left. This is also why some pictures seem to flow in a certain direction, from left to right say, because the artist was left handed, and also why when painting a profile the artist paints the subject facing a certain direction.

[BobTheBeheader]

Well I'm right handed, but when I draw, the light source is usually coming from the upper left.

[Big-Al]

left handed and tend to smear what i do, so, working on the right is best... just to avoid the smudging

[DarQraven]

I guess it kind of makes sense, but doesn't apply to every type of drawing.
For instance, I've been trained in mechanical/concept drawing. As such, I've learned the typical methods of 'raytracing' where you draw really thin lines (in your head, or on paper, or both) coming from the light source, through the outer edge of a subject, and onto the floor, in order to determine where the shadow will be and what shape it will have.
When right handed, diagonal lines from top right to bottom left are the easiest to draw, and that might explain a tendency to put the light source on the right. (Because it 'feels easier' before you've ever drawn the lines)

For other forms of drawing, such as portrait painting, that use different methods for determining shadows/lighting, it doesn't make sense.
Often these methods involve a lot of guesswork, physical observation of similar shapes, experience and most importantly, imagination.
I really can't see why being right or left handed would affect those.

[Skold]

Well I'm right handed, but when I draw, the light source is usually coming from the upper left.

Is that because that's where the tentacles are coming from? http://webpages.charter.net/cworkmfdm/rimshot.gif

[DeeperShade]

I put the lightsource wherever I deem it best, there's rarely a specific side.

[gregori]

Never heard of that...

I suppose it only effects when drawing an image from one's imagination (if its true)

I notice that you can tell handedness when people try to draw symetric shapes. Look at the drawing in a mirror an you'll see how asymetric it is.

[haslo]

Well, left handed people that just draw and do so with the left hand too have the light usually coming from the upper right, because the left side is blocked with the arm and the lower side is blocked from the body, so it's kinda natural. However, anybody who even knows how to properly light a scene also knows that this should be done from the upper left usually, as that's just the way we perceive things, with light coming from top left, by convention. For example...

http://www.haslo.ch/temp-pics/Lights.gif

The upper left square seems to be raised, the lower right one seems to be lowered. The upper right and the lower left square just seem strange. It's just the way we see things, reinforced by tons of visual images that work just like that all around us every single day; starting from the very widgets on your computer monitor. Have a look at buttons, tabs, menues, drop shadows; everything works like that.

[Thrash123]

Meh, I call BS. I'm a lefty predominantly, and I use light from wherever it feels proper.

[MoogleRancha]

Is that because that's where the tentacles are coming from? http://webpages.charter.net/cworkmfdm/rimshot.gif

Nice one.

:lol:

[neilthecellist]

I disagree with the quote as well. Not an artist myself, but reflecting upon my friends' artwork in AP Studio Portfolio, I'd say there's no correlation between right/left hand and right/left light sourcing, respectively.

[Rambowjo]

When I draw people, I like to make the light source come from the direction they are looking at. It's rather random which direction they're facing though :)

[Fuzzle]

When drawing, you're more likely to have the light shine towards the inside of your hand, or else your hand would be casting a shadow over whatever you're drawing.

It's a load of crock if he claims it's always the case - obviously you light a scene for specific reasons and not "whatever you feel like" - but I can see that being the case when just sketching something random from the top of your head.

[shadow_dragon]

I acn see how it makes sense.

Left/right handed folks are certainly more inclined to draw in a certain way to avoid smudging for example. This could easily form habits that would lend the artist to shading in certain areas and thus forcing the light source to a certain area.

Regardless though i doubt this applies to digital artists or painters or even most professional artists beyond the realms of concept sketching.

Certainly I put my light sources where i please, though when i'm scribbling I have to admit i end up shadowing the lower right hand side.

I think theoretically it makes sense but practically it's simply not that simple and only true of a minority not a majority.

[Kantham]

http://www.haslo.ch/temp-pics/Lights.gif

The upper left square seems to be raised, the lower right one seems to be lowered. The upper right and the lower left square just seem strange. It's just the way we see things

The lightning seem to be from above, that's probably why the brain creates that logic.

[B]

The lightning seem to be from above, that's probably why the brain creates that logic.

Then howcome the bottom edges of the low left and right squares are lit up indicating the lightsource is there?

The pic messes with your brain because of the multiple lightsources. If you look at the top left 'raised' block and then look at the lower right block it seems as if it is pressed, if you look at one of the other blocks first and then at the lower right block, it's much harder to see it is pressed. It's all a matter of perception :)

[GotBeer?]

Meh, I call BS. I'm a lefty predominantly, and I use light from wherever it feels proper.+1, back when I used to draw anyway. If I were to do a profile, it would be based on subject preference first ("this is my good side"), or whatever I think is the best side.

[Kantham]

Then howcome the bottom edges of the low left and right squares are lit up indicating the lightsource is there?

Like Haslo said, it looks as if the upper blocks are raised, while the bottom ones are inside. That's pretty much how I see that.

[Adelheid]

You will all be glad to know we won the argument, my thanks to you all :clap: