Creating Lighting

There are very few rules in art, but light and shadow is one of them. There is always light and there is always shadow. That’s the rule. Without it, your coloring will be flat. Light always shines at an angle, even when it shines from directly overhead. Overhead lighting casts rays at both angles. Only artificial light shines from beneath an object and it also shines at both angles.

Center Highlight

 

Can point horizontally, vertically or diagonally

1) Apply a dark color to both sides and a midtone between them, leaving space for the center.
2) Blend the colors toward the center with a blender pencil.
3) Apply white in the center and blend again.
4) Apply solvent and blend with a brush. (optional)

Center Light

 

1) Apply a dark color to the corners and a midtone 1/3 of the way inward.
2) Blend the colors together with a blender pencil.
3) Push the blended color toward the center with a blender pencil.
4) Apply white in the center and blend outward.
5) Apply solvent and blend with a brush. (optional)

High Noon or Midnight

 

1) Apply a dark color to the bottom corners and a midtone 1/3 of the way inward.
2) Blend the colors together with a blender pencil.
3) Push the blended color toward the center with a blender pencil.
4) Apply white in the top center and blend outward.
5) Apply solvent and blend with a brush. (optional)

Directional Light

 

1) Apply a dark color to the corners and a midtone 1/3 of the way inward.
2) Blend the colors together with a blender pencil.
3) Push the blended color toward the center with a blender pencil.
4) Apply white in the center and blend outward.
5) Apply solvent and blend with a brush. (optional)

Creating Depth

Depth is created by shading areas inside an object or on another object beneath it in one or two different tones. Try to visualize the object as a grayscale. The darkest areas of the rose are in white. The midtone is gray. The darkest shade is the highlight. This will help you learn to visualize light and shadow. There should always be shadow where two objects overlap.

 

1) Fill in the dark areas lightly first.
2) Fill in the midtone lightly, even over the shading and highlights.  
3) Lightly color the highlight areas with white.
4) Return to the dark areas and apply a second layer.
5) Apply the midtone over this layer and another layer of dark over it.
6) Apply a second layer of midtone over the gray area, including the highlight.
7) Blend the dark layer into the midtone and the midtone into the highlight.
8) Add more white to the highlight.

Leaves

 

1) Fill in the veins first with a very sharp graphite pencil. Apply workable fixative.

2) Fill in the shadows lightly with a darker value of the leaf color. It should be the same color as the leaf it is resting on.
3) Lightly color the highlight (dark) areas with yellow.
4) Apply the midtone over the remainder of the leaves.
5) Return to the shadows and apply a second layer alternating with the leaf color.
6) Apply a second layer of midtone to the leaves, except the highlight.
7) Blend the shadow layer into the midtone and the midtone into the highlight.
8) Trace over the veins with a sharp colored pencil. Soften them where there is shadow.