What you'll learn:
- Make your drawings more believable to the viewer by shadows
- Shading techniques to create the illusion of reality
- How to add 3-dimensionality to your drawings
- Working with light & shadow
This is the 3rd episode of my How to Draw 101 series.
In this beginner drawing course you can learn one of the most useful, rewarding and exciting drawing skills called shading or rendering. Understand how light & shadow work on different surfaces in order to create depth on you artworks. Whatever technique you prefer - sketching, drawing or painting - understanding how shadows are created is crucial for creating a believable illusion of reality (3D).
In this course I'll show you the basics, as well as some of the advanced techniques of shading which you can use to create both simplistic and realistic drawings. We will go from simple to more complex forms step by step.
What previous drawing experience do you need?
Some basic drawing skills would be useful, but not mandatory for this course. I designed the lessons in a way that you can also benefit from it with very little or zero previous drawing experience.
What drawing tools do you need?
You can start this beginner drawing course without any special drawing tool. I'll be using mostly a regular 2B graphite pencil on cheap office papers. For demonstration purposes I will also use some other drawing tools which you can purchase along the way if you like them.
What can you expect by completing this course?
You will understand how light and shadow work on simple forms. And if you know that complex objects are built from simple forms, actually you will know a lot. You will know the basic terms and concepts of shading, and you'll be able to make eye-catching, believable, well-shaded realistic drawings or sketches about simple subjects. There will be plenty of drawing exercises, so your drawing skills will get a huge boost. By the end of this course you'll also be ready to explore more advanced shading techniques without difficulties.
Course Content
Day 1 - Light & Shadow
Value change equals form change
Pencil grades
The value scale
Some shading techniques
Light & Shadow
Direction of Light
The ideal lighting setup
The "1-2-3 read" concept
How to assign values to surfaces
Day 1 Assignment (shading exercise)
Day 2 - The Cast Shadow
What is cast shadow?
The cast shadow of a stick
Quick perspective drawing overview
The cast shadow of the cube
Sunlight & local light scenario
The line of termination
Cast shadow of a complex planar form
Day 2 Assignment (cast shadow construction drawing exercise)
Day 3 - Curved Volumes
The cast shadow of the cylinder
The occlusion shadow
The cast shadow of the cone
Soft shadow edges
The cast shadow of the sphere
Different lighting setups for the sphere (top light, back light, side light)
Day 3 Assignment (cast shadow construction and realistic shading exercise)
Day 4 - The Form Shadow & the Light Side
The core shadow
How to shade the light side
Shadow cast on other objects
How to shade concave surfaces
Shading a hollow brick shape
Shading a sphere with inward curve
Realistic shading of a coffee mug
Blending values
The background value
More shading techniques
Day 4 Assignment (all kinds of shading exercises)
Day 5 - Figure Shading Studies
Putting it all together
Plan your shadow pattern
Shading with graphite pencil
Shading with charcoal pencils on colored paper
Shading with dye inks (marker)
Shading with color pencils
Day 5 Assignment (create your own figure shading)
If you'd like to take your drawing skills to the next level, enroll in this course now!
See you in the first lesson!
