Drawing Lesson #2: Shadows and Shading

In Lesson #1, we learned that everything you draw is just a flat shape. We used tracing paper to help us SEE the basic shapes in the photo. This month, let's try and see the basic shapes in the new photo (without the tracing paper) and draw them. Then we will make them look 3-dimensional with SHADING.

The art supplies needed for this lesson are included in the following kits:

Charcoal Kit
Multimedia Kit and
Multimedia JUNIOR Kit

(If you do not own these supplies and would like to try this with just pencil and white paper, you can do that also, but the end result will not be as dramatic.)

1. Using the vine or willow charcoal and a ruler, draw the table line.	2. Draw a circle for the apple of the left.
3. Draw a larger circle for the apple on the right. Make them overlap.	4. Using the kneaded eraser, erase the unnecessary lines.
5. Draw the SHAPE of the dark shadows on both apples. Add the stem to the apple on the right.	6. Now draw the shape of the shadows on the table.
7. Using the side of the black, compressed charcoal, fill in the dark side of each apple. Smudge carefully with a tortillion (or clean finger).	8. Using the charcoal pencil, lightly draw the SHAPE of the very white highlights on the light side of the apples.
9. Now LIGHTLY fill in the light side of the apples with the charcoal pencil, but DON'T fill in the white highlights you just drew. If you drew the outline of the highlights too dark, dab it with the kneaded eraser to lighten the line at this point. Carefully smudge the area you just filled in with a tortillion or clean finger.	10. Using the compressed charcoal, darken the apples where the shadows are the darkest. Smudge, if you want to. Now you must observe the "lights in the darks" and the "darks in the lights". Erase areas in the dark sides that are highlighted a bit. Carefully shade the light side a little more with the charcoal pencil.
11. Using the compressed charcoal, fill in the shadows on the table. Smudge. Now, lightly add a backround using the side of the compressed charcoal. You may smudge this VERY LIGHTLY with your finger, if desired.	12. Using the white pastel, fill in the highlights on the apples. Add any other subtle highlights you see in the photo with the white pastel. You may want to crop your drawing to center the apples better, if desired.

Photo Reference:

Photo Reference by Scott Bauer, courtesy of USDA, ARS Gallery

Printing of this art lesson plan is allowed for personal or educational use. It may not be copied for resale or reprinting without the author's permission. Copyright 2003 Karine Bauch.

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