Side lighting emphasizes an object's mass and helps develop the contours of its form; however, a light placed directly in front of the object (or multiple lights evenly spaced on either side) will seem to flatten the object by centering the highlight, restricting the shadow area, and limiting the range of value that defines the object. Not to be overlooked, of course, is the strength of the light source itself. Extreme drama often requires the greatest contrast possible.
Although lights and shadows exist in nature as the by-products of strict physical laws, CG artists often adjust them to enhance the three-dimensional effect of a rendering and/or provide greater compositional interest.
Side Lighting
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