Don't forget to be consistent as well in the direction of the shadow. The yellow boxes all have a drop shadow that falls to the lower right as if the light were coming from a point above and to the left. The upper and lower Near & Far groupings each have their own imaginary light source.
Build a Better Drop Shadow
By Jacci Howard Bear, About.com
Use Size, Color, and Direction to Preserve the Illusion of Depth
Drop shadow size and color visually moves objects toward and away from the viewer.
© J. Bear
Items floating just in front of the background have a narrow, dark shadow. Those further from the background (closer to the viewer) have lighter, wider shadows. Whether or not objects overlap (but especially when they do) use varied drop shadow size and color to add depth and interest to a layout.
Prev
- Add Interest and Dimension With Drop Shadows
- Base Fake Drop Shadows on Reality
- Avoid Loss of Illusion By Avoiding Uniform Drop Shadows
- Create Varied Depths With Size and Color
- Use Size, Color, and Direction to Preserve the Illusion of Depth
- Give Complex Arrangements Complex Shadows
Suggested Reading
Creating Drop Shadows in Graphics Software
Creating Drop Shadows in Photoshop
Explore Desktop Publishing
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