How to Draw 101 Series - Episode 3

Understand Light & Shadow - Make your drawings & sketches more believable by shading to the viewer.

In this beginner drawing class 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 class I'll be showing you the basics, as well as some of the advanced techniques of shading which you can use to create both simplistic sketches 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 none of them is mandatory for this class. 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 class without any special drawing tools. I'll be using mostly a regular 2B graphite pencil on cheap office papers. For demonstration purpose I'll bel also using some other drawing tools which you can purchase along the way if you like them.

What can you expect by completing this class?

You will have the opportunity to understand how light and shadow work on simple forms. Complex objects are built from simple forms, so if you know how to deal with simple forms, it will be easier to work with compound 3-D shapes.

I'll explain the basic terms and concepts of shading which could help you make eye-catching, believable, well-shaded realistic drawings or sketches about simple subjects. There will be plenty of shading exercises after each lesson in the assignments. This is where you can practice the concept and develop your drawing skills. This class lays down a solid foundation for exploring more advanced shading techniques later.

Class 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 class now!

See you in the first lesson!

Matthew Austin

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