Explaining the Reflect-y Ball... Betterly

I found a better version of this important point I tried to make a few weeks ago, about how reflections work. I drew this a few years back for a student who, I can almost guarantee you, did not incorporate the insight into his thoughts. It was all by way of urging him not to put highlights at the edges of objects--unless doing rim lighting, which is a specific situation, explained in the third sketch here.

Rim lighting can be quite lovely. They loved it in old pulp magazine covers. Note the very realistic use of it here on the face and skull.


JH

P.S.: 100% sure the artist worked with a model for both the man and the skull. Not just because the rim lighting is so realistic. Look how he captures the light passing through the thinner places in the bone! So nice. Not something one would automatically think to include...