The Shading Course
Welcome
Module 1 - How to Separate Light & Shadow
Module 2 - How to See Light Effects
Module 3 - How to Control Values
Module 4 - How to Organize Values
Module 5 - How to Create Realistic Shading
Module 6 - How to Use Light Probes
Module 7 - How to Show Form
Module 8 - How to Invent Shading
Module 9 - How to Use Maquettes
Module 10 - Bringing it all Together
Community + Feedback
Newest
cindygs
4mo
Graphite 2B/2H
Romain Decotte
4mo
Here’s my gradient done with 2B / 2H graphite pencils.
Karlo H.
6mo
Graphite 2B and 2H
Kwame Alexander
7mo
2B(I think) and 2H. Took a little over an hour.
Chris Bodary
8mo
Graphite 2h and 2b pencils and kneaded eraser used, no smudging.
oil paints used was ivory black and titanium white.
Ayşenur Akkaş
8mo
Hello,
I also tried making acrylic paint chart but never end up blending it this perfectly. Do you have any tips for me?
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selenitis
8mo
First gradient done using digital brushes I usually use, second gradient done using a mechanical pencil (the only pencil I have)
ivat
10mo
1yr
Hi guys. I've worked quite a lot in pencil, charcoal, paint and digital media, including in Procreate. In my opinion, the secret to obtaining smooth tones fast is NOT how well you can smudge, but how well you can spot and correct 'islands' or 'patches' of darker or lighter tonal values. It works for all media and is generally MUCH faster than smudging. Dorian has a great article about how to spot these and correct them. If you didn't notice it in the lesson notes, here it is again:
https://www.dorian-iten.com/smooth-tones/
Sharntel Davey
1yr
Pencil value gradient using 4b, 2b, and 2h.
flugmodus1
1yr
Hey @Dorian Iten , i was wondering if there is value gradient exercise specifically for the digital medium? As you have shown in your Video making a digital gradient can be really easy. I feel like i am missing the point doing it digitally. :-) Awesome course by the way, i am kind of addicted :-)
1yr
@flugmodus1 I just came up with a possible assignment in my response to evnl below :)
"Maybe a good solution to this is for those of you working digitally to use one of the uploaded images from a student who has worked traditionally and do island hunting on that image, refining the tones and balancing the gradient as well as you can."
I'm happy to hear that you're enjoying the course! :)
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flugmodus1
1yr
The first one: Hatching in Procreate (Pro Create Pencil), the second one: Smudging in Procreate (Basecolor with paint brush) Still figuring out the best setup ...
1yr
Nice. In the second one there are still quite visible bands of separate value. Check out Dorian's article on a quick way to create smooth tones here :https://www.dorian-iten.com/smooth-tones/
Henri Gerrits
1yr
I did 4 gradient studies with different mediums on different paper.
1yr
Nice work!
evnl
1yr
I saw the 21 Dec 2021 feedback for a digital submission. Dorian mentioned that using the gradient tool or large soft brushes would be a faster way of creating a gradient which I agree with. In the spirit of the exercise, is there any merit in using 1-3 different small brushes/erasers to create the gradient? My thought is that using small brushes/erasers would allow me to practice island hunting.
1yr
You can make a gradient with smaller brushes. It will always be a tradeoff: smaller brushes = slower progress.
Maybe a good solution to this is for those of you working digitally to use one of the uploaded images from a student who has worked traditionally and do island hunting on that image, refining the tones and balancing the gradient as well as you can.
evnl
1yr
In the Common Mistakes notes, what does "Out of Balance" mean? Does it have something to do with being a non-linear gradient? Why is it bad to "make the gradient too dark or too light overall"? Is the example image one that is "too dark"?
1yr
Yes, a balanced gradient is linear. The example is indeed too dark. The dark tones have "eaten" into the light tones, making the gradient feel overly dark and "unbalancing" it.
The purpose of this assignment is to develop value control. It is easier for you (and me) to assess your skill level in value control when you aim at a linear gradient.
Laura Barr
1yr
1yr
Around the middle, the change from darker halftones to lighter ones is perhaps a little fast, but overall nice work, Laura.
Félicia Gagnon
1yr
The first one was done in Photoshop with a soft brush at different opacities, (and with the eye dropper) and the second one with graphite on regular printer paper. I can see that I went a little too dark on the second one.
Bartolome Ramis de Ayreflor
1yr
Has some gaps but at some point you have to let it go...
1yr
Hi Bartolome. Good value distribution, even if the gradient is not super smooth. If you haven't done so yet, check out Dorian's article on 'island hunting'. It's a really useful and quick way to smooth out your tones. https://www.dorian-iten.com/smooth-tones/
Brayden Copley
1yr
Still hung up on my darks.
gasyadocro
2yr
Used procreate. But restrict the tools as physical material(only 6B,HB, soft-blush for eraser). The middle is final. This took almost 5hours. And I submit cuz I committed.
1yr
Great effort. If you haven't done so yet, check out Dorian's article on 'island hunting'. It's a really useful and quick way to smooth out your tones. And it works for any medium!
https://www.dorian-iten.com/smooth-tones/
Tony Vu
2yr
Here's my gradient from Photoshop
1yr
Hi Tony. Did you notice how smudging helped, but not as much as you thought it would? Check out Dorian's article on 'island hunting'. It's a really useful and quick way to smooth out your tones. And it works for any medium!
https://www.dorian-iten.com/smooth-tones/
Gift Cards
Gift card for art students to use on anything in the Proko store
About instructor
Former program director at Barcelona Academy of Art. Passionate about teaching solid craft and exploring the inner game of art.
