Drawing: Dragons

SHADING YOUR DRAWINGS

Once you sketch the basic shape of your subject, you can create realism and form by applying a variety of shading techniques. The information on these two pages will help you discover which methods of shading best suit your style—and you’ll find that you can use the same techniques with virtually any medium, from graphite pencil to charcoal and ink. When deciding which medium to use, consider the appearance of your subject—does it have soft, fluffy hair or rough, cracked scales? Think about the textures you want to render; then refer back to these pages to see the effects you can achieve with each medium. Whichever method or medium you choose, remember to shade evenly. Instead of shading in a mechanical, side-to-side direction, ...