Overview

In this project, we'll practice "Halfway to Black" (HTB) shading by drawing a striped worm. 

Steps

1. Draw the outline of your worm.
2. Draw the floor.
3. Divide the worm into 5 sections/bands as in the example above. (If you add more sections, you'll create a lot more work for yourself.)
4. Make the light direction in this scene come straight from the top. Draw your estimation of the terminator on the worm and a cast shadow on the floor.
5. Draw 3 light probes, representing 3 different local colors for: 
   1. The floor
   2. The lighter "skin" of the worm
   3. The darker "skin" of the worm
6. Find the shadow value on each light probe by using the "Halfway-to-Black" method and shade in your picture.
7. Upload your image.

Examples

Meet these Challenges

• Draw smooth, clean tones. (See this how-to article.)
• Maintain a clear difference between the light value and shadow value. Especially on dark materials.
• Take into account the environment. Bright environment = a lot of ambient light -> adjust halfway-to-black shadows a little brighter. Dark environment = less ambient light → adjust halfway-to-black shadows a little darker. 

Duration

This project should take 30–60 minutes to complete.

Optional: Refined HTB Worm

If you like, you can add occlusion shadows, reflected light, and shading in the halftones to create "refined Halfway-to-Black shading".

Tips

Resources

You are welcome to use this shorthand "HTB-Scale" to find the pairs of light value + shadow value.