6 Rendering Techniques creatinG hiGhliGhts and shadoWs T he purpose of putting highlights and shadows on a figure is to define and contour the features and shapes of the body, and to create garment value and texture. Properly applying highlights and shadows brings out descriptive character, enhances effectiveness of design details, and contributes to the mood of the character. Shadows and highlights can be dramatic, exaggerated, or subtle. Artists in the fine arts may use more extreme lights, shadows, and cast shadows to create dramatic and exciting compositions of subjects that express their emotional experiences and intensify the mood of the artwork. However, suggested and simple highlights and shadows are used for costume figure drawings in this book because too much shadow affects garment texture and color. Shadow less on the face than the body parts to focus on facial expressions. Adding highlights and shadows adds value to the object. Value is the degree of light or dark on the surface of fabrics. Value describes shape and texture and the space in which the object is surrounded. In costume character drawing, use value to create descriptive garments and figures. When light hits an object, highlights and shadows are present. Highlights and shadows create a three-dimensional object because they indicate depth and distinguish texture. 172