The Shading Course – Fundamentals of Realism, Light & Shadow

Dorian Iten’s Shading Course is a game changer! I FINALLY found an instructor who could explain and demonstrate shading in a way that I could understand and apply. It was a topic I was frustrated with because no other instructor could pull this off-- and I tried plenty. . As a result of this course I found my passion for drawing. Dorian is an amazing instructor. He is clear and concise with his lessons, his demonstrations are fantastic, and his assignments are fun. He is very kind and approachable, and this also comes across during his recorded classes. Dorian is the kind of instructor where I'm anxiously waiting for MORE classes, because anything he teaches will be well worth the money! Dorian is by far one of the best instructors I’ve taken classes from.

I couldn’t see myself making the financial and time commitment, but after watching Dorian’s free content I needed to know more. I have watched other free tutorials but The Shading Course was worthy to be the first online course I paid for. In the Shading Course, I received the missing element of understanding of how to decipher what I was seeing and how to translate 3D form onto paper. I now feel that I have been given some visual tools to help me decipher what I am seeing and I already feel an improvement in my shading. Dorian made learning easy with a structured approach. If you can show up to his live feedback sessions, it is very helpful to see your work debriefed online. Being part of an online group learning together makes it feel like going to art college from your living room! I would recommend this course both for beginners and established artists as it gives you a structured way to improve the art of seeing and shading in both paper and digitally.

At first glance The Shading Course looks like it’s only about rendering techniques or some very intimidating topic, which, as a beginner, would have made me avoid buying this course. What I found was that the course focuses on how to properly use the fundamentals of light and shadow. It is a solid foundation for learning to see and to show form and volume on your artwork. I think The Shading Course must be the best one on this topic. It is deep, builds up your drawing confidence and provides a new way to see the reality around you. To gain this type of clarity is time saving and insightful. It's a one of a kind learning experience.

There are always obstacles that may stand in the way of a commitment like this course. But I know Dorian and his abilities and was very eager to take the opportunity to learn with him. Dorian’s Shading Course is really a wonderful ensemble of the (well explained) science behind creating a two-dimensional representation of what you wish to portray and making it feel truly 3D. Although English is my native language, to internalize the vivid information in the video lessons, I would recommend visiting each one several times. When we met up with Dorian during the feedback sessions, his “wisdom“ and patience with even the smallest details was amazing! He stays on-topic and everyone leaves with an answer to their questions. I think it would be difficult to find a more professional approach to an online drawing course. Thanks Dorian!