In this lesson, we are going to focus on the values and shading. The lesson's theory is leaning heavily on the exercises you will do with the help of the step-by-step images and the videos. So set your drawing software ready or if you are using traditional pen and paper, reserve a couple of pencils of different hardness, like 6H and 3B.
Term value in art means how light or dark something is on a scale of white to black. As we see objects in the real world and understand them due to the lightness and darkness, making values an important part of the art fundamentals. Artists render their work using values to make their drawings have a 3-dimensional illusion, depth, color contrast, and life-like appearance.
Kuva An example of a value scale done with ten color blocks and them blended together. Values are the key element to the illusion of light in any artform. Our brains process the light and rationalize what we see.
Now it's time for you to make a value scale similar to the image above. Start with different values of grey between black and white. The far ends of the scale are naturally black and white. After you have the blocks next to each other, start blending them together to make the scale cohesive and smooth looking.
Risen video
Krita was used in this exercise example. Pick a basic brush, that has hard edges and isn't like an airbrush, in this exercise b)Basic-5Size -brush was used. At first, pick color black and draw a block with it, then lower the opacity from the bar on the top every 10% to get the sequential value scale, until you reach 0% opacity. You will end up with eleven blocks if you include the 0% opacity, the complete white color.
Next set the brush's opacity somewhere around 50-60% opacity and blend the blocks to achieve a smooth value scale. Select colors with Color Selector Tool, the hotkey for that is the control-key. Go lower with the opacity when the values aren't blending smoothly anymore with the higher opacity.
KOlme kuvaa
Studying values walks hand-in-hand with lights and shadows, but demands more focus on how the light acts on surfaces. Shading adds value to a drawing, it creates an illusion of form, space, and light.
As we learned at the beginning about how value means how light and dark a color is, the contrast is the difference between elements, such as color, size, or values. When shading, we must are mostly focused on the contrast when the values change. For example, when light hits an object, the result is a range of contrasting values, the stronger the light is, the higher are the contrasts.
Lights and shadows define what we see and give an illusion of 3-dimensional reality. Lights and shadows act differently depending on the intensity of the light source, its distance, and the object's shape. The different light and shadows have specific names and areas they occur.
Kuva
Highlight = The most intense reflection of light and is mostly indicated with a very light value of a color. In the image highlight is white.
Center light = Area receives the most direct light and the light spreads on.
Halftone = Some of the light hits the area but is less intense than the center light or the highlight.
Terminator = The line where the contrast is clear between the light and dark values.
Core shadow = Area where the light can't reach, typically darker value of the object's own color.
Occlusion shadow = The darkest segment of the cast shadow, the least affected area by the light.
Cast shadow = A darker value of color because the object blocks the light from reaching the area.
Reflected light = A light that bounces from the surface back on the object.
Notice that the light acts differently on different materials. The basics are still the same, but the light can bounce from the surface stronger if it's metallic and cast smaller a smaller shadow the closer the light source is. The rougher materials don't reflect the light as intense as metallic ones, and if the object is clear, such as glass, then replicating the values is challenging but a teaching experience.
Shading Exercise
This exercise is all about shading. Spheres with different light setups are a common way to practice how the light act on the surface, and how the shadows form on the sphere's backside and underneath it.
Pick one of the five images below and use that as a reference to shade your own sphere. Each has a different lighting setup and the sphere's surface changes from rougher to more reflective. The exercise's aim is to help you actually practice thinking about how the shading works and how to add the lights and the shadows.
Compare the images and notice how they change depending on the object's and the surface's material, some images have more intense reflection and reflective light is stronger. And of course, the camera angle affects the whole image.
Kuvet
Rise-video
The demonstration is made with Krita. At the start, the brush size is set to over 500px to create a large circle. To avoid coloring over the lines, you can set a quick clipping group by right-clicking the layer with the circle and going to a group-section that opens the quick clipping group-option. This creates a new layer over the circle and when drawing on it will only appear on the areas that the layer below has any pixels.
Resize the brush to a smaller size, and block the lights and the shadows at first, don't mind about blending them yet. You can pick the values from the reference image with the color selector tool, the control-key is the hotkey for that. After the value blocking, lower the brush's opacity gradually to get a smoother transition of values. Study your chosen image and keep it next to your drawing so you have the reference close by.
You can render your drawing until it's like a photograph or make it more stylized looking, but focus on the values and remember to take breaks between drawing sessions.
Tehtäväkomponentti
The exercises in this lesson are basic ones and meant to be a jumping stone for more practice. Survey your surroundings and draw real-life objects and practice how their values are and how to shade them.
Values and shading don't change, even if your art style isn't aiming for realism. The fundamentals are still the same and give more lifelike to any art style.