I started the process of producing patterns of shadow and shade by experimenting with different materials. Working with white paper and card, I held these materials up to different light sources to observe the effects. Initially, the bulb did not produce any shadow patterns as the bulb I used was very bright. Even in with the curtains closed, there was not enough contrast to see shadows. I had to wait until the sun went down outside to complete the experiments below.
Below are a few key images from the initial experimentation shown in the video above. I used simple straight cuts in the white paper and twisted the paper around to play with how the light looked through different number of layers of paper. I also created a similar shape lampshade using white tissue paper, scrunching the paper up into the shape I was looking for.
I tried combining the cloud-like shapes with more rectilinear shapes and tried a thicker card. This thicker card allowed me to produce more patterns on the walls compared to patterns of light and shadow on the shade itself. I also experimented with different colours of tissue paper to see what effect the coloured paper would have on the light and shadows.
Finally, I looked at different patterns that could be created with different sizes and shapes of openings in the shade. I moved the shade around to produce different light patterns on the wall depending on the angle of the light going through the openings.
This post relates to a project page, view the project page to see other related posts and outcomes.