Brenda Hoddinott
J06 INTERMEDIATE: SKILLS & SECRETS
OK! So your drawing subject is lightly sketched. You now want to add shading. But, how do you know where to add each of those light, medium, and dark values? A little tool called a value map is used by many accomplished artists to figure out the correct placement of values in drawings (or paintings)! This article is divided into the following five sections: INTRODUCTION: A shading map (often called a value map) takes the guesswork out of where you have to put different values in a drawing. STEP 1: SKETCHING OUTLINES: The first step is to lightly outline the subject proportionately correct. STEP 2: SEEING VALUES AS SHAPES: Close examination of a subject reveals where to find the highlights, and light and dark values. This step is extremely important in any drawing needing shading. STEP 3: OUTLINING THE SHAPES OF VALUES: The shapes of each value are sketched very faintly. STEP 4: ADDING SHADING: The shading map shows where to draw each value.
5 PAGES - 8 ILLUSTRATIONS
This article is recommended for artists of all levels, as well as students of home schooling, academic and recreational fine art educators.
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FIGURE 301
INTRODUCTION
A shading map (often called a value map) takes the guesswork out of where you have to put different values in a drawing. Different aspects of light and shadows assume various shapes. For example, a highlight can be a circle and a shadow can be a crescent shape. The illustrations used in this discussion are based on a photo of a section of a young ladys face (Figure 301). An integral aspect of working with a value map is being able to find the shapes of the different values on your subject. If you have difficulty seeing different values, try squinting your eyes a little.
FIGURE 302
Figure 302 (a digitally enhanced version of Figure 301) provides a little insight into what I see when I squint while looking at this photo. Curl up in a comfortable chair, relax, and follow along with me as I take you through the basic process of mapping values. The fourstep process includes: 1. Creating a detailed line drawing based on my photo. 2. Visually identifying the locations and shapes of the various values. 3. Lightly sketching their shapes on my line drawing and marking each with letters.
FIGURE 303
Copyright to all articles, images, text, projects, lessons and exercises within this drawing class belong to Brenda Hoddinott and may not be reproduced or used for any commercial purposes whatsoever without the written permission of Brenda Hoddinott. E-mail bhoddinott@hoddinott.com Web sites http://www.finearteducation.com and http://www.drawspace.com
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FIGURE 304
FIGURE 305
FIGURE 306
Medium values tend to fall in between the light and dark values. I dont bother looking for medium values at this stage, because their shapes and locations automatically become obvious when all others are identified.
Copyright to all articles, images, text, projects, lessons and exercises within this drawing class belong to Brenda Hoddinott and may not be reproduced or used for any commercial purposes whatsoever without the written permission of Brenda Hoddinott. E-mail bhoddinott@hoddinott.com Web sites http://www.finearteducation.com and http://www.drawspace.com
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Experiment with different approaches to shading, especially if mapping values doesn't appeal to you. Eventually you'll discover the perfect method for your unique needs. Eventually, you may not feel a need to mark letters on your map. (I rarely do.) With practice, drawing graduations based on the various shapes becomes second nature.
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FIGURE 308
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My philosophy on teaching art is to focus primarily on the enjoyment aspects while gently introducing the technical and academic. Hence, in creating a passion for the subject matter, the quest for knowledge also becomes enjoyable.
>Brenda Hoddinott<
Born in St. Johns, Newfoundland, Brenda grew up in the small town of Corner Brook. She developed strong technical competencies with a personal commitment to self directed learning, and the aid of assorted Learn to Draw books. During Brendas twentyfive year career as a selfeducated civilian forensic artist, numerous criminal investigation departments have employed Brendas skills, including Royal Canadian Mounted Police and municipal police departments. In 1992, Brenda was honored with a commendation from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and in 1994, she was awarded a Certificate of Membership from Forensic Artists International. Her homebased art career included graphic design, and teaching recreational drawing and painting classes. As supervisor of her communitys recreational art department, Brenda hired and trained teachers, and designed curriculum for several childrens art programs. In 1998, Brenda chose to end her eighteenyear career as an art educator in order to devote more time to writing, drawing, painting, and developing her websites. Drawspace http://www.drawspace.com incorporates her unique style and innovative approach to curriculum development. This site offers downloadable and printable drawing classes for students of all abilities from the age of eight through adult. Students of all ages, levels and abilities have praised the simple stepbystep instructional approach. This site is respected as a resource for fine art educators, home schooling programs, and educational facilities throughout the world.
Copyright to all articles, images, text, projects, lessons and exercises within this drawing class belong to Brenda Hoddinott and may not be reproduced or used for any commercial purposes whatsoever without the written permission of Brenda Hoddinott. E-mail bhoddinott@hoddinott.com Web sites http://www.finearteducation.com and http://www.drawspace.com