The Art and Science of Drawing

Shading the Figure

There is a logic at work in all light and shadow patterns. When shading simple volumes like spheres or cylinders, this logic is obvious and capturing it in a drawing is straightforward. When dealing with a subject as complex as the human figure, this logic can get lost or confused. To ensure that your drawings clearly demonstrate the logic of light, I recommend doing a simplified study before you start a more finished figure drawing. In this study you should simplify your subject into its most basic volumes and then shade these volumes. This will allow you to see from the smaller details to the larger organization of light and shadow. What you learn from the study can be used in your more finished work.

For example, here is ...