Create shading on object (composited image)

[_alexbrandt_]

Hello Gurus !

With some little time on my hands, I'm having some further fun in PS.
I'm compositing an image on which I'm placing a cut-out classic car over a background plate (both pictures I took on 35mm film).








I've got to create the shade of the car on its left (sunlight coming from the upper right side) and create the shade below the car.

What would be the best approach to create a realistic shade of this car?

Thank you!

 

[JeffK]

There are several ways to play with this -
Try with this tutorial:

Quick play on my part with this method:



Here's a second tutorial:

Here's a quick try with this method:



Both give you shaped shadows if that's what you want to try for.

You'll also have to adjust the lighting on the car a bit to match the lighting on the landscape.

Have fun with this!

- Jeff

 

[chrisdesign]

The best way to create a shadow below a car is to paint it yourself on 2 separate layers. Important - Change the layer mode from normal to multiply.
1 layer for the general shadow, according to the lighting of your background image. Use a medium soft brush with very low opacity.
1 layer for a contact shadow. Use a small soft brush and paint the area where the car tires touch the road.

Here ist my example with a bigger size for the car.

 

[_alexbrandt_]

The best way to create a shadow below a car is to paint it yourself on 2 separate layers. Important - Change the layer mode from normal to multiply.
1 layer for the general shadow, according to the lighting of your background image. Use a medium soft brush with very low opacity.
1 layer for a contact shadow. Use a small soft brush and paint the area where the car tires touch the road.

Here ist my example with a bigger size for the car.

View attachment 117815

Hello guys,

I like chrisdesign's approach. In fact I just read those posts now and was able to attempt a version with a two layers.
I do think a two-layer shadow is the most realistic. In chrisdesign's version, however, there is not enough shadow below the car. You would never see shadows only next to the wheels and not below the chassis.

This is my current rough version. I still need to work on it to refine. I did not think about changing the layer opacity to multiply, it’s a good idea.
Having a harder shadow was what I was thinking as the trees have clear shadows since the sunlight is coming down with very little cloud diffusion.
Since the original picture of the car has a hard shadow on the bottom part of the body the shadow of the car on the ground must have a smiliar quality in terms of hardness and direction.

 

[Scooby Magic]

There are several ways to play with this -
Try with this tutorial:

Quick play on my part with this method:

View attachment 117807

Here's a second tutorial:

Here's a quick try with this method:

View attachment 117808

Both give you shaped shadows if that's what you want to try for.

You'll also have to adjust the lighting on the car a bit to match the lighting on the landscape.

Have fun with this!

- Jeff

First video was really helpful. Thanks!