Shading is one of the most sought after skills for drawing and for painting. When we draw, we are not merely drawing the subject itself.  We are drawing the effects of light on that subject. In this course you are going to learn how to render three dimensional forms with dramatic light and shadow.

In this course, you’ll start by learning how to shade simple, three dimensional objects like spheres, cylinders and cubes. 

You’ll learn how to organize values in your drawings and how to keep a clear division between light and shadow.

You’ll learn to recognize and draw different kinds of shadows including core shadows, reflected light and cast shadows. 

You’ll learn how to draw a full range of values, from bright lights to rich darks.

You’ll learn a straightforward process for shading you can apply to any subject.

And finally, you’ll lean how to crosshatch and how to do shaded drawings on colored paper. 

By the end of this course you will have a deep understanding of light and shadow and you’ll have a straightforward shading process you can apply to any subject, no matter how complex. 

Understanding light and shadow is the essential element that will pull all of your other drawing skills together. Drawing with light and shadow will bring your drawings to life in gorgeous and dramatic ways. 

This is the fourth and final course in the Drawing Laboratory series. It is recommended that you have taken the 3 previous Drawing Laboratory courses before taking this shading course.