Cartooning Tips: Shades and Shadows
By Tracy on November 12th, 2009Posted In: Blog
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WARNING: THIS BLOG IS FULL OF ADVICE.
Well, How-To's, Hacks, and General Discussion, really; but also alot of guidance on how to do things, and on what not to do. It's what I've learned, and what I'm sharing with you.
Much of it is solid. The rest requires more be said. Please weigh what you learn here with other insights to see what works best for you. Thank you.
For more tips and tutorials, see: http://www.reddit.com/r/makecomics
One of things most cartoon artists agree on is the importance of adding shades and shadows to their pictures.
Not only does adding shade and shadow details to your drawing give it a more realistic look, but it also demonstrates that you have higher level of artistic skill. Readers also find shaded drawings more aesthetically pleasing.
The best news is that no matter what colouring technique you use, adding shades and shadows is simple:
If you use pencils: you can draw either soft or hard lines to depict the placement of the light source. The best way to do this is to hold your pencil in the same manner that you would hold a sewing needle but down against your paper or canvas.
If you use paints (liquid or digital): Use a colour that is either slightly or significantly darker or lighter than the color you intend to contour. The two colours should be in the same scheme. For digital media, you may use either a brush tool or the selection tool, with either hard or soft effects to achieve a transitional look.
It’s as simple as that. Have fun drawing.
