The shading question

#1

I have no basics in drawing, trying to learn anatomy and figure drawing, and i think i’m getting somewhere with it, but what i cant understand is how to shade !!!
I mean…i know where should be the light, where the shadow is, and everything in between, but how do i draw it with a pencil ? No matter what i do i end up with ugly bunch of strokes instead of a proper shadow. I even watched videos of people sketching things, and still cant repeat that. Is it some kinda secret angle at which to hold a pencil ? Or “masonic” secret way of herding strokes in one place ? :slight_smile:

Can someone help ? I’d really want to see mentions of tutorials, books, videos, whatever, which teach the basics of pencil shading.

#2

Please, people, i’m asking for help.

#3

Hi.

I would recommend drawing a row of 4 or 5 boxes, and attempting to create the same number of distinct values from light to dark within them (ex.- first box 10% gray, second 30% gray, etc.) then get a set of pencils of different hardnesses and attepmt to find ones that easily duplicate each value without grinding them into the paper.

I would also recommend experimenting with different kinds of strokes that can give more texture to your work (ex… overlapping figure 8’s, cross-hatching, etc).

As far as the angle question, what is right completely depends on context and preferences. Instead, I’d recommend making lines with the pencil at different angles, then making observations about the marks being made and how the pencil is wearing down when making them.

#4

Thank you.
Although i do believe this is the kind of thing i should be able to save myself some time on, instead of full scale experimenting.

#5

Hi,

There is no way you can do what you ask with out practicing and practicing and practicing. There is no easy road.

Here is something to get you started.

http://www.artyfactory.com/portraits/drawing_techniques/pencil_shading.htm

There is no other way to learn but to do it and train you hand and eye.

Cheers
Shad

#6

Nice link.

You’re actually talking about a different thing.
The way i see it, there are two stages : first you need to understand the “know-how”, and after THAT you practice. Well, nobody taught me that “know-how”, so what do i train ?

Like, i’ve seen an ad of Vilppu video, and he’s holding his pencil in a very weird way. Is it simply his habit or is it actually helpful ? I want to learn these kind of things.

#7

I cannot speak for any other, the only way I could answer that question for myself was to just start trying by experimenting. It is an endless process of trial and error. It will never stop.

You will find many techniques and methods to acomplish the same goal. Because there are so many alternative methods, nobody can tell you what will work for you. Only you can find that out by trying.

IMHO for art, its all trial and error. There is even a formal name for it. They are called 'study sketches'. Use that term in google when you finish practicing shading and holding the pencil in a manner that works for you as mentioned in the tutorial.

If you want the one and only tip that might make is somewhat easier to train your hand, it is to practice drawing a subject taken from a photgraph (keep it simple), but turn the picture upside down and draw that way (do not trace). I know it seems silly, but try it the right way up, then try it upside down and compare. For most of us, the upside down version will be more accurate.

Drawing upside-down forces your minds eye to disconect from your real eye. You brain uses many layers of perceptual interpretation that make true seeing difficult (this is why eyewitness testomony is no longer considered accurate). It is necessary to train your mind to see what a camera lense sees… that which is actually there, not what we think is there.

There is no magic, no shorcut. You have to find out by trial and error what you can and want to do and only you can do that.

My 2C

Cheers
Shad
#8

Not only does your technique matter, but the type of pencil you’re using, too. For darker shading, I like to use a 4B. More delicate stuff can be done with an F or HB. All of these have relatively soft leads that are ideal for shading.

Try to build up areas of tone slowly. Even if you know you want an area to be totally black, don’t start off with it black. Lightly cover that area, holding the pencil near the eraser at a very shallow angle–in other words, the pencil is almost parallel to the paper. At first, just let gravity do the work and don’t push the pencil into the paper at all. As you keep layering more and more graphite onto the same area, you can press harder and harder–but try to keep a nice smooth application. It’ll take some practice. As you go into the details, hold the pencil a lot closer to the business end.

If you want a really uber-smooth texture, like for polished metal or something, you may consider buying a couple of tortillons. These are basically rolls of tightly-wrapped paper that you can use to blend the strokes together. Not appropriate for every style or every subject matter, but they can certainly be useful.

#9

Thanks for your advices.

Still, the fact that there are seemingly no books from the masters about the subject is quite disappointing…
Well, i guess its some kinda artist guild thingie, and actual student teaching is more profitable than book writing. I asked in other places, and most people cant say anything about shading, except “find yourself a teacher” bit, which is repeating over and over. Secret of the trade, i guess, only passed on from teacher to a pupil, and not to any outsiders, hehe.

I feel bad…

#10

Well, that’s one way of looking at it. But as with a lot of things in art, it’s entirely possible to learn shading independently. I mean, the artists who pioneered realistic shading didn’t have teachers to help them–they had to learn from what they saw.

Many objects can be broken down into simple shapes–spheres, cubes, cones, cylinders, etc.
Light hits these objects in more or less predictable ways. You just have to take the time to study the way these objects look in various lighting situations.

In general, an object will have highlights, midtones, and shadow. Often, the edge of the shadow is brightened by reflected light, though not always. Look for these in objects around you and just draw what you see. Squinting can help you more accurately judge what’s lighter and what’s darker, if you’re having trouble. Try some simple objects and post your results here for critique; other artists will tell you what you’re doing right and what you’re doing wrong.

Good luck! :slight_smile:

#11

Hmmmm, McKertis, you are not trying. There is plenty of help and tutorials on the web.

Type shading and drawing into Google, refine the search with sketch and pencil. You can certainly find the answers, they are there. I know they are there because I have used many of them and still am.

Its not so much a “guild thing” as it is “I, we, they, can only help you help yourself”. You still need to do the work.

And as I said to another guy, lower your expectations. Nothing is perfect. Try shading some thing less complex to start. Like the play of shadows and light on a wall wall. Cats are the only thing more difficult than human figures to draw and shade well IMHO.

One tip,

Shadows are not additive when there is only one light source, but is additive when there two or more. If you have one shadow being cast into another shadow, it will be uniform in color not darker where they intersect - with one light source - if the shadows or shadings are caused by two light sources intersecting, then the shading is additive.

Cheers
Shad

#12

If you really want to become a master at this and its not just a hobby. Then I would suggest finding someplace to learn from someone with a solid old school style art education. It will be much better than wasting a huge amount of money on books on how to draw manga etc:) Look on this list and see if you can find someplace close to you. http://www.artrenewal.org/asp/database/atelier_list.asp

#13

See what i mean ? He knows, but he will never help anyone, except THE one and only advice to go find a teacher.

#14

Haha. It’s really true. Practice and practice. And proportions. Always remember that. Everything starts from proportions. Give yourself 2 hours a day to practice just drawing the “SAME THING” over and over again till when you let some stranger see it and they say “Nice!”, then you know you’ve improved. that’s what I did. Took me 2 weeks. But I learnt a whole load from that period of drawing. Growing from there is inevitable. Because you will really solve the big problem of lazyness and also know if you really like to draw. To really know yourself.

#15

It’s just eye-hand coordination. Like playing musical instruments, drawing takes practice. You can use lines ot hatch, or use the flat (side) of the pencil lead. Using quick, controlled strokes is key. It’s all in the flick of the wrist and the swing of your arm (from the elbow).

#16

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