Playing in the Shadows – Enhancing Depth and Drama with Shade and Tone

INSTRUCTOR

Todd Cumpston

DESCRIPTION

Examine how shadow can be used as a seasoning to enhance your sketches, enabling you to tell a fuller story of space, place, and time. Discover how to see shadows anew and what they can add to your sketch. Explore different methods of rendering shadows using your preferred media.  

The workshop begins with an introductory lesson, followed by quick thumbnail drawings as a warm up. From there, students will move to fully realized sketches as they explore the ways various shadow rendering techniques bring energy and depth to their sketches.

LEARNING GOALS

In this workshop, participants will:

• learn to use shadows to focus attention, transmit information, and create drama
• learn to use shadows to enhance the story of the sketches
• explore techniques in different mediums to quickly render shadow shapes
• explore rendering a scene “shadows first” to add variety

SUPPLY LIST

• Sketchbook of choice that matches preferred media
• Pencil or pen to create lines
• Watercolor,  gouache, or other color media (if desired)
• Participants working solely in pen and ink should consider bringing a 30% gray marker that matches their ink tone, to record shadow tones quickly

WALKING DISTANCE

This location is approximately 5 minutes’ walking distance from Palette & Chisel.