Project 2: Exercise 3 – Creating Shadow using Lines and Marks

This exercise is all about how to create shadows by using lines and marks textures. I love the fact about the setup for this exercise, is that I experienced more into these lines and marks, I didn’t know there were more other marks and lines shading tips. So starting this exercise, I came across exciting moments, where I would find the “Cross-Hatching or Criss-Crossing Lines” my favorites so far.

First Phrase – Shading Textures in (Figure 1):

I first started some shading textures as a practice in (Figure 1) below, in my A4 Sketchbook. I wanted to try them out and this was a warm-up exercise for me.

So here in my A4 sketchbook, I depicted these shading textures:

• Cross-Hatching or Criss-Crossing Lines
• Spots or Stippling
• Lines or Lines close to each other
• Dashes
• Scribbling
• Contour Lines
• Broken Lines

 

Figure 1 – Shading Textures

Materials used in (Figure 1):

• Fine Liner 0.4 – Black
• Pencil – HB
• A4 Sketchbook

 

Second Phrase – Sketchbook Practice with a Simple Object:

For this practice with only one simple object to choose. I decided to choose an Old Tape Measure in (Figure 2) that belonged to my father’s father. It’s a simple round object with an interesting character of age and shape. I started this exercise by dividing my A2 Sketchbook pages into four blocks for each practice.

Figure 2 – Old Tape Measure

 

“Cross-Hatching or Criss-Crossing Lines” in (Figure 3):

For the first practice is “Cross-Hatching or Criss-Crossing Lines” as seen in (Figure 3). I found this shading texture my favourite so far, as it works well with each of the mediums I used in the drawing in (Figure 3). So I used this texture in my final drawing with the three objects later on.

Figure 3 – Cross-Hatching or Criss-Crossing Lines

I find the Marino Umber water-soluble pencil in the Top Left in (Figure 3), Graphite Stick 4B in the Bottom Left in (Figure 3) and Charcoal Pencil (Hard) in the Bottom Right in (Figure 3) nice for doing “Cross-Hatching or Criss-Crossing Lines” in (Figure 3).

The Pigma Brush Pen (Black) in the Top Right in (Figure 3) was very tricky to make the lines narrow and less dark in the drawing in (Figure 3).

Materials used in (Figure 3):

• Top Right – Pigma Brush Pen (Black)
• Top Left – Marino Umber Water-Soluble Pencil
• Bottom Right – Charcoal Pencil (Hard)
• Bottom Left – Graphite Stick 4B
• Fixative Spray – Used once the drawing was done
• Fine Liner – Used for the Writing
• A2 Sketchbook
• Soft Eraser

 

“Lines Close to Each Other” in (Figure 4):

I found this shading texture my second favourite so far. But for this shading texture, it’s not suitable for the the Old Tape Measure in (Figure 2), it didn’t meet the character of the object’s age. My drawings in (Figure 4) ended up looking like a disks or fans lying flat on the floor.

Figure 4 – Lines Close to Each Other

All the four drawing mediums used in (Figure 4), turned out well.

Materials used in (Figure 4):

• Top Right – Pigma Brush Pen (Black)
• Top Left – Marino Umber Water-Soluble Pencil
• Bottom Right – Charcoal Pencil (Hard)
• Bottom Left – Graphite Stick 4B
• Fixative Spray – Used once the drawing was done
• Fine Liner – Used for the Writing
• A2 Sketchbook
• Soft Eraser

 

“Spots or Stippling” in (Figure 5):

This shading texture was my least favourite, as it was too tricky and even it takes a lot of your time. But for a good reason, it was something new I learnt in this exercise. I’ve never tried this shading texture before. So I’m looking forward at practicing more on this shading texture.

Figure 5 – Spots or Stippling

I found the Marino Umber Water-Soluble Pencil in the Top Left in (Figure 5) and the Charcoal Pencil (Hard) in the Bottom Right in (Figure 5) works well.

Then finding the Pigma Brush Pen (Black) in the Top Right in (Figure 5) and the Graphite Stick 4B in the Bottom Left in (Figure 5) very messy and difficult to do with this shading texture.

Materials used in (Figure 5):

• Top Right – Pigma Brush Pen (Black)
• Top Left – Marino Umber Water-Soluble Pencil
• Bottom Right – Charcoal Pencil (Hard)
• Bottom Left – Graphite Stick 4B
• Fixative Spray – Used once the drawing was done
• Fine Liner – Used for the Writing
• A2 Sketchbook
• Soft Eraser

 

“Mixed Shading Textures” in (Figure 6):

For this one, in (Figure 6), I decided to try each of the four different shading textures with the same mediums used in the three previous drawings.

Figure 6 – Mixed Shading Textures

Top Right in (Figure 6) – Is the “Cross-Hatching or Criss-Crossing Lines” with the Pigma Brush Pen (Black). I decided to practice more with the Pigma Brush Pen with this shading texture, as I wanted to fix the struggle, that I had in (Figure 3) “Cross-Hatching or Criss-Crossing Lines” drawing. I’m impressed that it turned out better.

Top Left in (Figure 6) – Is the “Lines Close to Each Other” with the Marino Umber Water-Soluble Pencil. I find this pencil colour has the age tone for the Old Tape Measure in (Figure 2).

Bottom Right in (Figure 6) – Is the “Spots or Stippling” with the Charcoal Pencil (Hard). I practiced more with this shading and putting more information, which looks better than the previous “Spots or Stippling” drawing in (Figure 5).

Bottom Left in (Figure 6) – Is the “Dashes” with Graphite Stick 4B. The last shading texture I chose to use is the “Dashes” shading texture, as it has an effect of making the object look like its sinking into the surface of the paper.

Materials used in (Figure 6):

• Top Right – Pigma Brush Pen (Black)
• Top Left – Marino Umber Water-Soluble Pencil
• Bottom Right – Charcoal Pencil (Hard)
• Bottom Left – Graphite Stick 4B
• Fixative Spray – Used once the drawing was done
• Fine Liner – Used for the Writing
• A2 Sketchbook
• Soft Eraser

Third Phrase – Final Drawing:

For my Final Drawing in (Figure 8), I decided to use the “Cross-Hatching or Criss-Crossing Lines” with the Charcoal Pencil (Hard) on an A2 Extra Smooth 200gsm white paper. So before I started the Final Drawing in (Figure 8), I selected three simple objects and arranged them onto a table. I used natural light from outside.

The three simple objects used in (Figure 7) for the my Final Drawing are:

• Porcelain Milk Jug – White
• Titanic Compass – Metal
• Old Pharmacy Bottle – Tinct Calamus

Figure 7 – Three Simple Objects

I started with few line marks to indicate the proportion of the three objects sizes from (Figure 7). Then I went on to do the “Cross-Hatching or Criss-Crossing Lines” shading texture as seen in my Final Drawing in (Figure 8) below.

Figure 8 – Final Drawing

I love the effect of the “Cross-Hatching or Criss-Crossing Lines” shading texture with these three objects. The Porcelain Milk Jug turned out well as seen in the close up in (Figure 9) below.

Figure 9 – Close Up of Porcelain Milk Jug from Final Drawing in (Figure 8)

I enjoyed putting some time in doing this exercise and learning a lot of new shading techniques so far in Drawing 1: Part 1.

Materials used in (Figure 8):

• Charcoal Pencil (Hard)
• Fixative Spray – Used once the drawing was done
• Fine Liner – Used for the Writing
• A2 Extra Smooth 200gsm White Paper
• Putty Eraser
• Soft Eraser