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Shading Techniques
Hatching
Hatching is the most common tool for building form and
is essentially a series of lines drawn closely together
to give the illusion of values. Shading can be created
using curved lines, straight lines, long lines, short
lines and any combination of the above. The hatching
motion should be reflective of the curvature of the
object. For instance, if we are drawing a spherical
form, the hatching should be circular; for a cylindrical
surface, the hatching should resemble a curve; for a
flat surface, the hatching should describe a straight
line. Lines may run in any direction with the direction
of the hatching dependent on the external appearance of
the figure. Altering the direction of hatch lines
naturally describes the shape and form of the subject.
Crosshatching
A variation of hatching in which one set of lines is
crossed over by another set of lines to produce a
smoothly shaded surface. Crosshatching can be used to
create different textures and is somewhat more
student-friendly than hatching as it helps you to reduce
the presence of gaps between the lines. The general rule
of thumb when it comes to crosshatching is to cross over
the initial set of lines on an angle that creates a
diamond-shaped space rather than square.
Circularism
A method of shading that creates textured values by
combining randomly drawn curved lines. Values range with
the density in which the curved lines are drawn. For
light tones, fewer curved lines are drawn. For darker
tones, many curved lines are drawn close together.
Densely rendered lines create a smoother appearance than
the more textured look of lighter graduations of the
circularism technique.
Exercise: Create a value scale for each shading
technique.
It is very important to practice progressive shading
scales for all shading techniques. From light to dark as
well as dark to light. To create smooth shading, lines
must be so close they appear to be touching. If you are
not pleased with the transition from one value to the
next, add some shorter lines here and there to smooth
the transition.
Tip: Remember to sharpen your pencils regularly,
particularly before commencing a new area of shading. If
you prefer, use mechanical pencils. Each line is the
same width and you don't have to stop often to sharpen
the pencil.
Other pages of interest
Drawing light and
shadow
Creating shadows
in your drawings
Reflected light
and shading
Shading to
convey form
Shading techniques