Studying light and shadow in paintings was challenging because it involved a lot more than just adding dark areas. One of the biggest struggles was understanding different light sources and how they affect objects. It took time to learn how shadows change depending on whether the light is natural, artificial, or diffused.

Another challenge was balancing contrast—too much made my painting look harsh, while too little made it look flat. I also struggled with directional shadows and making sure they followed the correct perspective. At first, I thought shadows were just black or gray, but I learned they actually contain subtle colors based on the light source and surroundings.

One of the hardest parts was making shadows look natural. Sometimes, they looked too sharp or too soft in the wrong places. It was also tricky to figure out how light interacts with different surfaces, like metal, fabric, or glass.