SHADING YOUR DRAWINGS

 

 

Shading give shapes a third dimension. You can bring forms forward or push them back in your drawing. You can give them a soft round look, or make them look hard and sharp

When creating shadows I suggest you to proceed gradually, overlaying several layers of shades and to use always a sheet of paper under your palm to guard against smudging.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

HAND POSITION

 

When shading, I usually use the tripod grip (on the right), which allows the pencil to be finely controlled by the fingers. But sometimes, for very light shadings I use a softer and looser grip (on the left), which forces me to draw with my shoulder.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

COUNTOUR LINES

 

You can give a third dimension to your subjects also trough the contour lines. Use thin lines for areas touched by the light and thick lines for shaded areas.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SHADING TECHNIQUES