Even though I have terrible luck with coloring my pictures (either the markers make it too dark, the pencils are too light, or the crayons are too textured), I seem to have a knack for shading. Somehow, the application of a pencil tip to the page in just the right places, moved quickly but carefully over the page to create gray gradients, clicks for me, where regular coloring doesn’t, at all.
And yet I’ve met many artists who have a lot of difficulty with shading. They can “never get it to look realistic,” or “it always ends up too dark for the rest of the picture.” These are the same people who draw absolutely real-looking still-lifes, who can sit down and in 15 minutes have a portrait of me or anybody else that looks like it took hours, and yet they have difficulty shading?
I think that the varying strengths and weaknesses of any artist in any art field depends greatly on each person’s individual skill set. I don’t have the patience for most coloring and most line art–I do very simple forms and hate to add color (usually because it ends up ruining my drawings!). Yet I love the soothing feeling of the pencil against the page as I shade; something about the quick movements makes me feel like it’s not taking terribly long, but the results look more masterful than the effort I put into it.
Shading may or may not be necessary for the kind of art you like to do, and it doesn’t have to be necessary at all, just like color is not necessary for my simple sketchlike forms. There are people in this world who can color in the lines, and then there’s me. XD But shading seems to come naturally to me, and so I try to make it a part of my drawings.
As a way to show others how to shade, I’ve written this blog post to explain how I shade (which is just one way of doing it).
Where’s the Light Coming From?
Before you find out where the shadow is on the page, you have to determine where your light source is. If this is a picture from reality, it’s as easy as looking at your subject and seeing where the light is coming from. If it’s a picture from your imagination, you have total freedom as to where the light comes from.
One of my art teachers taught me this trick in middle school: lightly draw a little sun image at the extreme edge of the page where your light source is, to show where the light is coming from. It’s a visual reminder, if you lose yourself in drawing and shading, that the light is coming from top left, or top center, etc., and you can easily erase it when you’re done shading.
Once you’ve decided where the light is, you know where the shadow is–it’s always directly opposite the light. Light coming from the left? Shadow’s going to be darkest on the right side of the object or person being shaded. Light coming from top right? Shadow’s going to be darkest on the bottom left side.
What’s the Shape of the Object to be Shaded?
Cylindrical shapes are the easiest things for me to shade–shade very darkly on the opposite side from the light, then gradually go lighter and lighter as you approach the other side of the shape. The gradient is done smoothly and evenly from one side to the other.
Unfortunately, you’re not likely to be shading just cylindrical shapes. Vases and faces, flowers and buildings, and all types of other shapes exist in art, so you have to figure out how the light falls on these objects and shade accordingly.
For a shape that is narrower in some places than others, I’ve found that the most realistic-looking shading brings shadow closer to the light side in the narrower spots. For a rounded shape, doing shading around the edge of the object farthest from the light seems better.
Do the Darkest Shading First
Once you’ve decided where the light is in the picture, the farthest and most opposite part of the object being shaded is where your darkest shadows will fall. I find it easier to do the darkest shading first, really scrubbing the pencil lead, charcoal, or ink into the paper, so that you know where your opposite point is. Line the shadowed side of the object, following its contours closely, with the darkest shadow color.
From here, you can shade lighter and lighter until you get to the other side (the light side) again. (It’s easier for me to do a gradient effect by hand if I know how dark the darkest shadows are supposed to be.) Build up your color in the darkest-shadow area gradually, making sure it’s right ahead of time (you’ll understand when and if you try to erase it, but more about that later). If you don’t get the deepest shadows right, it will be very hard to make your lighter shadows look real later on.
If In Doubt About Shading Placement, Go Lightly
If you’re not sure that your contouring or placement is right, shade very lightly first and check it. Does it look “real,” like it’s going to pop off the page, able to be touched? If it doesn’t look real, change it with either a few more lines of shading, or a handy (and good) eraser.
Once you’ve got the right placement for your shading, you can add more or take away as needed until the entire object is given its third dimension.
The Eraser is Your Friend–IF You Shade Lightly First
Erasers will not get rid of your darkest shading, so it is important to make sure your darkest shadows are correct. Erasers are, however, great for retouching parts of the medium- to lightest-shaded places in your picture. If you’ve gotten a little overzealous with your medium color shading, an eraser can lighten it up just a touch; it can also erase completely the lightest shading in your sketch.
Summary
Careful placement and a (generally) light touch with your shading implements, as well as constant observation of your object and whether it looks “real” on the page, is key to getting shading right. But as with all art, don’t get discouraged–keep trying to shade, even on little doodles, and you’ll get the hang of it. Every bit of practice helps!