✏️ LIGHT & FORM SHADING
✏️ YOUR SKETCH KIT
This lesson teaches how light and shadow work on simple 3D forms. You will shade a cube, cylinder, and cone using one imaginary light source. Keep the lamp direction consistent across every shape.
- ✏️ Graphite pencils: H for layout, HB for midtones, 2B or 4B for dark shadows
- 📄 Sketch paper: smooth enough for even tone layers
- 🧽 Kneaded eraser: lift highlights back to bright paper
- 💡 Desk lamp (optional): shine it on a real box to see shadows live
- 📦 Simple props: a tissue box, mug, or party hat to compare with your drawing
Time: about 10 minutes · One light direction for the whole page · Layer light to dark
PAGE 1 OF 5, LIGHT SOURCE DIRECTION
PICK YOUR SUN
ONE LIGHT, ONE STORY
Before you shade, decide where your light source lives. Imagine a lamp or sun shining from one direction, usually top left for beginners. Every highlight, shadow, and cast shadow on the page must agree with that choice. If light comes from the left, the right side of a box grows darker. Flip the light mid-drawing and the form looks broken, like two different suns fought over your sketch. Mark a tiny arrow in the corner of your paper as a reminder and never shade a face as if light hit it from the wrong angle.
⚡ DID YOU KNOW?
Classic studio lighting often places the main light at about 45 degrees above and to one side. That angle shows form clearly without hiding the whole object in shadow.
LIGHT!
TOP LEFT
☀️ Common starter setup.
🌗 Right and bottom faces go darker.
🌗 Right and bottom faces go darker.
STAY CONSISTENT
➡️ Draw a light arrow on the margin.
🔄 Every form follows the same rule.
🔄 Every form follows the same rule.