Check out the premium course for additional lessons, demos, assignments and critiques!

A 5-Step Process for Shading Any Subject

Shading can transform a simple line drawing into a compelling image with glowing highlights and rich, dark shadows. However, many students struggle to develop a consistent process. In this lesson, I'll teach you the five-step shading process I use for all my drawings. This method is the foundation for creating a clear division between light and shadow and ensuring your values relate correctly. You can use it to shade any subject, from a simple sphere to the complex human figure.

Getting Ready to Shade

Before you start shading, make sure your drawing is ready.

• Fix Proportions First: Your drawing's basic shapes and proportions should be worked out. No amount of skilled shading can fix an arm that's too long or a head that's too big. Solve these drawing issues first.
• Use a Single Light Source: I highly recommend lighting your subject with a single, strong light source. This creates a full range of values, from bright lights to deep darks, making the forms easier to understand and shade.

The 5-Step Shading Process

This process will ensure you always know what to do next, no matter how complex your subject is. We'll use a sphere as our first example.

Step 1: Divide Light from Shadow

First, we establish the two big value families: light and shadow.

1. Draw the line of termination. This is the line where the form turns away from the light and enters shadow. On a curved object like a sphere, this line will be soft and curved.
2. Fill in all shadow areas with a single, flat value. I use a light tone, about a number three on a five-value scale. This value represents the reflected light, which is light bouncing from the environment into the shadows. Even this simple step begins to make the object look three-dimensional.

Step 2: Add the Core Shadow

Next, we define the darkest part of the shadow on the object itself.

• The core shadow is a darker band of shadow that sits right next to the line of termination. On a sphere, it often looks like a soft, triangular band.
• It appears because light bounces off the surface the sphere is on, illuminating the bottom of the sphere with reflected light. This leaves the area just inside the shadow darker in comparison.
• Darken this area to about a number four value. Keep the edges soft, especially the transition into the reflected light.

Step 3: Darken the Cast Shadow

The cast shadow is the shadow the object throws onto the surface it's resting on.

• This is the one area of the drawing where you can push your values all the way to black, or a number five value.
• The edge of the cast shadow is usually sharpest right underneath the object. It often gets softer and more diffused as it moves further away.

At this point, you have established the three main shadow conditions: reflected light, core shadow, and cast shadow. This already creates a strong sense of three-dimensional form.

Step 4: Add Center Lights and Highlights

Now we move into the light side of the form.

• If you're drawing on toned paper like I am, you'll add lights with a white pencil. If you're on white paper, you will achieve your lights by letting the white of the paper show through.
• The center light is the area of the form that is brightest because it's directly facing the light source. This area will be a number one or two value. As the form curves away from the light, this light area will get progressively dimmer as it approaches the line of termination.
• The highlight is the brightest spot on the object. It’s a small, specular reflection of the light source itself. On toned paper, you'll add this with a sharp white pencil. On white paper, you'll simply leave this small area as the pure white of the paper.

Step 5: Refine Your Drawing

With all the main values blocked in, the final step is to refine everything.

• Refinement can mean darkening your values, softening shadow edges, or adding subtle details and textures. This stage continues until you feel the drawing is complete.
• The most critical rule during refinement is to maintain the division of light and shadow. Your darkest values (three, four, and five) should only be found on the shadow side of the line of termination. Your brightest values (one and two) should only be on the lit side. Keeping these value families separate is the key to powerful, dramatic shading.

Shading a Complex Subject

This five-step process is even more valuable when tackling a complex subject like the human figure. With so much information to manage, a clear strategy is essential.

1. Divide Light from Shadow: Start by simplifying the line of termination across the major forms of the body. Then, fill the entire shadow side with your number three reflected light value.
2. Add the Core Shadow: Go back along the line of termination and add more complexity, describing the smaller anatomical forms. This is where the drawing really starts to take shape.
3. Darken the Cast Shadow: Look for places where one part of the body casts a shadow on another, like the head casting a shadow on the neck or an arm casting a shadow on the torso. Darken these areas to your number five value.
4. Add Center Lights and Highlights: Add your brightest lights to the planes of the body that are facing the light source most directly.
5. Refine: Finally, add anatomical details and subtleties, always making sure to preserve the clear separation of light and shadow you established in the first four steps.

Your Project: Practice the Process

To make this process second nature, you need to practice it.

• Start with simple subjects like spheres, eggs, apples, or pears. Repeat the five steps until you don't have to think about them.
• Once you feel confident, move on to more complex subjects like children's toys or, eventually, the human figure.

Repetition is critical. By using this five-step process, you will always have a clear plan for how to shade any subject, no matter how simple or complex.

Check out the premium course for additional lessons, demos, assignments and critiques!