How to pencil shade?
I am very passionate about drawing, but I need to improve a lot. I don't have any artistic background in my family so I have to practice quite a bit. I want to aim towards a more realistic style, but shading is one of my weak points. I was wondering if anyone who is experienced in art could help me, by giving me advice, tutorials, etc. I only have a basic understanding of where to shade, and I don't know how to properly stroke with the pencil, or how dark certain areas should be. I am also not good with texturing, either. To contact me with more information I do have an account on http://www.deviantart.com/ and my username is "theclearshifter." Please, I would be very thankful, because I haven't had any luck so far.
Comments
Light logic... well other than practice you can basically have to envision what you're drawing as a 3 dimensional shape and then ask yourself, if the light is coming from here then where will it hit?
If the example were a sphere and the light was coming from the top shining down on te sphere you could envision this and say, "The light is hitting the top therefore the top will be bright, and sine the bottom of the sphere has no way to get the light since the sphere curves downward the bottom will be dark.
Just.... keep practicing. You know what would be even harder? Drawing water with as much detail as possible.
Close observation of where the light is coming from is important for realistic rendering. But before worrying too much about that, you could just do a LOT of shading and blending without having to do a picture OF anything. Just get an assortment of pencils: 2B, 4B, 6B are good to start. Then practice with the point, the side and in-between. Go over and over your marks and see how the tone builds up. Try to get the darkest, I mean the absolute darkest you can, and then gradually shade to the absolute lightest you can and still see a mark. This could just be an area, it doesn't have to depict anything. That way you'll get a much clearer idea of what's possible, and also really see how huge the range of possible tones is. Enjoy!
Well Im not the best artist in the world but when it comes to drawing, shading is what seems to strike my fancy. When I shade with pencil or chalk or pastel, I always use my finger to smooth the shade which makes it very realistic. By doing so, you can pull the shade around. The more you smear it, the lighter it will become. Whats best to know, is knowing where your light source is coming from. If its coming from the right, your shades will be on the left side of the objects. Im all that good with explaing art without showing it but Its worth a shot. Good Luck!!!!
I love to draw and am always looking for ways to improve my shading skills. There are alot of books you can buy or borrow from libraries that help people of all ages draw and shade. I also use photos to practice and try using different pencils to get the right texture i am looking for. The more you practice the better you get. Hope i have helped.