How to Shade a Drawing

Summary

In this Proko video, Stan Prokopenko explains the fundamentals of shading, focusing on how to effectively convey form. He emphasizes understanding basic forms like spheres, cylinders, and boxes to create realistic shading. Key concepts include planes, core shadows, reflected light, highlights, and cast shadows. He advises artists to prioritize larger forms before adding details, and to control light and shadow intensity. Prokopenko also introduces techniques for simplifying complex forms, using examples from master artists. Viewers are encouraged to practice these techniques for better figure drawing.

Takeaways

• 🎨 Understanding form is key to shading effectively, focusing on basic shapes like spheres, cylinders, and boxes.
• 🔑 Primary forms (e.g., arm as a cylinder) should dominate over secondary forms (muscles), and secondary forms over smaller details like veins.
• 🧱 Planes help visualize 3D objects, simplifying complex shapes into major directional surfaces to aid in shading.
• 💡 Light direction determines which planes are in light and which are in shadow, creating a 3D illusion through tonal gradation.
• 🌑 Core shadows divide light and shadow areas, changing thickness and sharpness based on form transitions.
• 🔄 Reflected light within shadows adds dimension and should be handled subtly to avoid overpowering the light areas.
• ✨ The center light and highlight differ: center light faces the light source, while the highlight reflects it based on viewer position.
• 🖤 Cast shadows and occlusion shadows occur where one form blocks light from reaching another form, adding depth.
• 🌗 Local value (the object's inherent color) affects shading, with darker objects compressing the value range.
• 🔆 Light intensity influences contrast between light and shadow; intense light creates high contrast, while dim light softens it.

Q & A

What is the importance of understanding form in shading?

Understanding form is essential in shading because shading is used to indicate the 3D structure of an object. You need to grasp the basic shapes (spheres, cylinders, and boxes) to effectively shade organic forms, like the human body, and convey their character.

Why should primary forms dominate over secondary and tertiary forms when shading?

Primary forms, such as a cylinder for an arm, should dominate because they represent the largest and most important shapes. Secondary forms, like muscles, and tertiary forms, like veins or wrinkles, should act as details that support the overall structure.

How do planes help in the shading process?

Planes can be thought of as flat tiles that form a 3D shape. By imagining how different planes of an object face the light source, you can create the illusion of form through shading, with planes facing the light being the brightest and those turning away becoming progressively darker.

What role do soft and hard edges play in shading forms?

Soft edges between planes help indicate a smoother or rounder form, while hard edges can be left to emphasize the structure. The choice between soft and hard edges depends on the desired clarity of the form’s structure.

What is a core shadow, and how should it be drawn?

A core shadow is the darker strip at the edge of the shadow family, where light transitions to shadow. It varies in thickness and sharpness depending on the form's shape, with a thicker, softer edge on rounded areas and a thinner, sharper edge on more cylindrical areas.

What is reflected light in shading, and why is it important?

Reflected light is the lighter part of the shadow area caused by light bouncing off the environment. It is important because it adds depth to the form and helps separate the shadow family from the light family.

What is the difference between the center light and the highlight on a form?

The center light is the plane directly facing the light source, while the highlight is where light reflects most directly toward the viewer. The highlight's position can change depending on the curvature of the form and the light's angle.

What is a cast shadow, and how does it interact with occlusion shadows?

A cast shadow is the shadow an object casts onto another surface when it blocks light. Occlusion shadows are darker areas within the cast shadow, where less light bounces in, typically found in crevices or where objects are close together.

How do local value and intensity of light affect shading?

Local value refers to the inherent value (lightness or darkness) of an object, which affects the overall shading range. The intensity of light influences contrast: strong light creates high contrast, while dim light produces softer transitions.

How can varying the intensity of light in different areas of a drawing be used compositionally?

By intensifying light in specific areas, such as the focal point, and reducing it in others, you can guide the viewer’s attention to the most important parts of the drawing. This compositional trick helps create visual hierarchy.