A Lesson in Reflected Light

I’ve been obsessed with cassette tapes; how they look and feel.

Specifically, how to recreate reflected light on the polyester film of a cassette for my book, Eject. This has me at a standstill.

I tried putting down strokes in Adobe Illustrator but it didn’t pan out well. So, I turned to Illustrator Draw and worked with its chisel marker and sent the file to Illustrator to work with the gradient tool again.

That technique shows the effect a little, but I wasn’t satisfied. All I saw were randomly placed glares. Reflected light isn’t random. It’s physics.

Next, I used gradient effects to apply a faded white gradient.
I adjusted the opacity and worked a little more with layers to add a soft light blend.

Success!

Drawing is as much a process as it is a journey. I see some of my students get frustrated and become overtaken by their desire to see a finished project. I tell them what I often tell myself, “Respect the process and enjoy the experience. This is what makes your artwork yours.”

This is a discipline that all artists learn and sometimes, re-learn. We come to the canvas with our heart and soul. It’s how we express ourselves and communicate with the world around us. It’s hard for anyone, young or old, to not feel a tremendous amount of anxiety when what we see in our head isn’t coming through in our art.

Sometimes my students criticize my artwork, “You’re doing too much,” they say. But like with the reflected light, I want the details of this book but work. More importantly, I want it to be understood. Each stroke and every color choice is intentional. Combined, it tells a story. It’s what tells my story.

Stick around for my next post as I work through the book cover and the tools I use to bring it to fruition. #ArtistWorkflow

Robert Generette III is an illustrator, teacher, and vector art monster based in Maryland. He is sharing his workflow to create and build a Blurb book, Eject.