
Stippling, which is also known as pointillism, is a very common form of shading that people commonly use with pens. This way you can create a smoother transition between the light and the shadow on your work.

Take a piece of cloth or a piece of tissue and rub it against the graphite. There is a special technique you can use to help blend the graphite. You apply more pressure as you press down on the pencil, and you can lean the pencil on its side to help create a larger effect. You use a consistent amount of pressure and create a single layer of graphite. Smooth shading is done in a similar way that you would color using a crayon. It is one of the most difficult types of shading to master, but it can also be one of the most effective, and can help you create the most realistic shapes and pictures. Smooth shading involves very soft strokes. You can create highlights with the work as well by either increasing the space between the lines or by taking out certain lines completely. One important thing to remember is that the closer together the lines are, the darker the shading will look. This method requires you to draw alternating sets of lines that cross over each other in a criss-cross pattern. CrosshatchingĬrosshatching is popular amongst artists – you may have even seen it in professionally done pieces. There are several types of pencil shading techniques you can use, and you may even come up with your own at some point, but for now we will explore six different types commonly used for artists both professionals and beginners – crosshatching, smooth, stippling, contour, circulism, and slinky. The best way to create this illusion is to use light and shadows.
#Quick and easy contour how to
When you want to draw something that looks realistic, you have to understand how to create the illusion of depth. Check out The Secrets to Drawing, which is a Udemy course specifically designed to help you improve your drawing skills.

If you’ve only just begun drawing, you may run into some problems. With the knowledge of the various shading techniques, you can create a wide array of unique artwork. It takes your creative work to the next level and it can visually add a new dimension to your art. Shading is one of the fundamental aspects of art. Through shading techniques you can add hard and soft shadows to your work, make it look as if light is reflecting off of it, and you can even give a solid ground or surface that your work appears on to give it more depth, so it doesn’t just appear as if it’s sitting on a piece of paper. The main reason why artists use different shading techniques is to help make their work look more realistic.
