ImagineFX - Issue 179

Traditional Artist Workshops

GET TO GRIPS WITH

PENCIL SHADING

TIMOTHY VON RUEDEN continues his series on drawing techniques by

covering a range of shading methods and how to execute them

L

earning how to produce

good shading results will

only be truly achieved from

regular practice. This is

because different pencils

create marks that are noticeably

different from one another, and so

understanding which pencil does

what is extremely important.

I used HB mechanical pencils for a

long time when I changed my focus

from digital to traditional art.

However, once I started working with

regular pencils, there was a clear

execution difference that I wasn’t able

to produce with mechanical pencils

alone. Since then I’ve discovered

techniques on how to produce

different textures, tones and results

that I combine to create my pieces.

It wasn’t just the different HB

hardness pencils that showed me the

clear difference, such as shading with

a 4B versus a 4H. I learnt that the tip

of the pencil also gave vastly different

results. For example, a more rounded

tip gave a larger, softer result and was

more efficient to work with.

So while my best advice to learn

shading is to go out and practice with

multiple pencils and explore different

methods, in this article I’ll share my

insight to help clarify this learning

process. My goal is to inspire you to

try shading with intent and create

drawings by employing a range of

shading techniques.

1

Choose your pencils carefully

I recommend having a few solid pencils

at hand that you can use in your work with full

knowledge on the results they’ll produce.

There’s a noticeable difference when working

with different pencils on the HB scale and how

sharp or dull the tip is. Test and see how some

will produce dark texture while others create

consistent mid-tone smoothness.

Core skills: Part 2

Timothy is an independent

artist showing and selling his

work at various conventions

across the United States. See

more of his art at http://www.vonnart.net.

MATERIALS

PENCILS

Q HB 0.2mm Orenz

yellow mechanical

pencil

Q General Kimberly

traditional pencils

ERASERS

Q MONO Zero eraser

Q Kneaded eraser

SURFACE

Q Strathmore Mixed

Media Paper

Going higher on the H scale will

produce lighter yet smoother,

buttery looking results.

Having a duller-tipped pencil will produce larger

areas while shading. They’ll also create more of a

textured look the higher you go up the B scale.

Using a small tip mechanical pencil will create

precision, but often will smooth out the paper

texture when shading to create a more matte look.