Shading

Lesson Plan - Get It!

Audio:

One of the life lessons we can take away from art is that there is no light without shadow.

In fact, shading is one of the main ways that artists show light.

Take a look at the four sketches below and observe how the artist used shading to show a light source. Answer these questions for each.

• Where is the light source in relation to the object?
• Is it above, below, to the left or right?
• How do you know anything about the light source, which is not even shown?

Next, read a tutorial on Shading Techniques - How to Shade with a Pencil. As you read, write down the six shading techniques the author presents, and a brief description about how the effect is achieved.

When you are finished, reflect on the following questions.

• How do each of those shading techniques differ?
• How are they similar?
• How does reading this tutorial help you understand the shading techniques used in the sketches you looked at earlier in this section?

You have a little more understanding now about the techniques artists use to show light and shadow.

In the Got It? section, take a look at some of the sketches from great artists and see if you can identify the techniques they used.