Using a pencil feels so simple, doesn't it? I mean, it's the first thing we learn to write with when we are kids, so what could be more familiar and comforting than that? But I've found again and again that using a pencil or graphite for certain types of shading can get pretty complicated. For example, with cross-hatching you don't need to be as particular about pressure and gesture, but it can be a real challenge when you go beyond that to subtler shading effects. I needed some help when it came to shading techniques that didn't appear heavy-handed or inconsistent, and that's where Shading Techniques Beyond Cross-Hatching: Artist Daily Pencil Shading Tutorial on Modeling Gradations comes in.

I had been missing a part of the puzzle until reading this eBook because I didn't realize that the best way to conquer gradation was to practice shading shapes like cylinders. Artist and instructor Jon deMartin points out that drawing convincing forms and figures means becoming a master of gradation. And you do that first by starting with a form that curves in one direction, like a cylinder. From there, you can go onto more complicated forms and the figure.

DeMartin discusses how to make smooth gradations, how surfaces relate to a light source, and how to breakdown an object or figure's planes in order to identify how to model it. What I found most interesting was learning that to really make a cylinder look round, I don't just smooth away edges, but instead truly gradate the values appearing on the form.

All that and more is in Shading Techniques Beyond Cross-Hatching: Artist Daily Pencil Shading Tutorial on Modeling Gradations. It is a crucial chapter in the book of drawing fundamentals, and it is one I know I'm going to revisit again and again. The information is too valuable not to. Download your copy of Shading Techniques Beyond Cross-Hatching: Artist Daily Pencil Shading Tutorial on Modeling Gradations now and rediscover the methods that separate good artwork from great. Enjoy!

And if you have anyone who might be interested in the drawing methods in Shading Techniques Beyond Cross-Hatching, feel free to send this link to them so they can learn pencil-shading tips, too. They are sure to thank you!