05-22-2009, 11:27 PM
The thread, it is so bare.
What's pillow shading, and what's so terrible about it?
Pillow shading is a term for shading that assumes that the 'light source' for a sprite, the all-important marker used as a reference for where shadows should be, is located inside the sprite itself:
![[Image: PillowExample.png]](http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u33/omegakyogre/PillowExample.png)
See how the sprite on the left looks like a flat circle, and the sprite on the right looks more like a sphere with depth? The sprite on the left shows why pillow shading is a poor way to shade. Shadows are intended to show depth, so we can tell more about a shape than just its outline; pillow shading, however, doesn't.
Keep in mind, sometimes you'll pillow shade unintentionally. Just try to remember where your light source is, and keep an eye out for it.
What's pillow shading, and what's so terrible about it?
Pillow shading is a term for shading that assumes that the 'light source' for a sprite, the all-important marker used as a reference for where shadows should be, is located inside the sprite itself:
See how the sprite on the left looks like a flat circle, and the sprite on the right looks more like a sphere with depth? The sprite on the left shows why pillow shading is a poor way to shade. Shadows are intended to show depth, so we can tell more about a shape than just its outline; pillow shading, however, doesn't.
Keep in mind, sometimes you'll pillow shade unintentionally. Just try to remember where your light source is, and keep an eye out for it.