Shading 101: Your Step-by-Step Guide to Creating Dynamic Shading in Your Drawings (+Bonus lesson)

Hello and welcome! I’m Isa Down, and I am the artist and creative designer behind Poppy & Gray Co. I’m so happy to have you here! In this 60-minute class, you will learn the step-by-step process for shading your line drawings.  This foundational class will give you the skills you need to bring life to any line drawings you create.  The emphasis in this class is on botanical line drawing, however these skills can be used on any line drawing that you create, from architecture to animals. 

I will take you through the basic stroke techniques for shading, and will then demonstrate how to use these strokes to create dynamic shading that adds life to your drawing. You will practice your new skills with two projects – shading in a daisy and a poppy, with guidance and explanation from me.  I have provided the outlines for these two flowers, so that all you have to focus on is practicing your shading skills. 

This class is intended for anyone who is unsure about how to shade their line drawings.  With these skills and a little practice, you will soon be shading intuitively, and feeling confident in your new skills with any new line drawing you create. 

I will be using ink with a fine liner pen to demonstrate the skills, but these basic techniques are translatable to any drawing medium – from ink to graphite pencil to colored pencil to marker. Let’s go ahead and get started!