Apparently, this is a thing. So, I wondered how easy it would be to recreate with one of my characters. It’s hardly perfect. Getting the pose to work perfectly would have driven me insane. Surprisingly, the lighting was easy. Enjoy.
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Witches and Ray-Guns 
All the images online have the same pose. How about turning hands so the shadow is cupping, see how it looks.
Did say it wasn’t perfect.
Thing is, her hands are about right for the original image, and that’s the shadow they project. I could probably get it better, but then I’d have to spend a couple of hours trying to persuade physics to do what I wanted. The original (and most contributors) have the advantage of drawing the shadows. Given the the black-and-white reproduction photograph manages a better ‘cupping’ pose, I should be able to do it, but I’d rather get on with some writing. 🙂
More writing is always better! 🙂
Okay, I looked it up. It doesn’t do anything forme , but being art there is a lot of it I am meh on.
I had a big 1/6 diorama of Catwoman on a snow covered ledge caught in Batman’s searchlight. I really wanted to do the searchlight and shadow effect but after tripping multiple circuit breakers in my brain I gave up on it. Some things the results are not worth the effort.
I know that feeling. I’ve tried to replicate things (or implement ideas I thought would look great) and just given up after it broke my brain.
Oddly (or not, given physics), this was easier than a searchlight. For a searchlight, I’d use a spot while this was one, single distant light. It changes the shadow dynamics a lot. With this, it’s just parallel light beams casting the shadow. Easy once you get the light density right.
Spotlights always give me problems I don’t think they should give me. 😦
I’ve seen some wonderful pictures of light effects painted on figures on figures. Usually they look better in pictures than real life. Glowing lanterns, eyes and switches all look good at the angle you paint them. I did the girls from the Tron 2nd movie and made a heroic effort to do those glowing lines on their costume. After screwing up my airbrush by mixing enamel and acrylic paint I did get sort of a decent effect. Using a combination of American and Polish cuss words went a long way.
I’d expect fluorescent paint to help with this, along with UV light of just the right frequency. And/or backlighting.
I have an advantage where it comes to stuff like that. I just use the emissive channel on the model textures.
Of course, I suck at conventional art, so creating the right masks to make the emissives work right would be a challenge. 😦
It’s interesting, but I feel compelled to confess that the main thing I get out of it is hope for DH9. Since that appears to be Nava.
Honestly, I’ll read anything you write, but if I can’t have more Thaumatology I’d really like more DH.
Well, I’m not writing for Death’s Handmaiden right now, but I have a Post-It stuck to my screen with the plot points for the next book or two. So, I’ll get there, probably later this year.
I actually picked Nava for the picture because I thought she worked well with the concept. I have no idea why, but that’s why I picked her.
Make this another vote for Thaumatology!
Sorry, I don’t think there are going to be anymore Thaumatology books. I really told all the story I had to tell in that world.