Sketch pad or paper Pencil Cotton balls or tissues Circular object
Tracing the circular object allows you to focus on shading the sphere rather than on learning how to draw a perfect circle.
You will later leave an untouched spot on the sphere, below that arrow, to signify the highlight from the light source. [3] X Expert Source Kelly MedfordProfessional Artist Expert Interview. 10 March 2021
Leave the circular or oval-shaped spot untouched, below where the arrow points from the direction of the light source.
Remember to leave your highlight spot untouched, so also take care not to smear graphite into that area.
This shading is called the mid-tone. Around the middle of your sphere, you should have about medium tones of shading.
As you get further from the light source, the shading should get darker. However, they should not be as dark at the space directly below the sphere.
Shade the border moderately dark, and taper it into a crescent shape before tapering off on the other side. Keep this darkest area of shading close to the bottom edge of the sphere; it should be no more than ½ centimeter in thickness.
Sketch pad or paper Pencil Egg cup Ruler Blending tool, cotton ball, or tissue
Remember that one side of your sphere will have the core shadow, which is the darkest part of the sphere, where the light source cannot reach.
For a shadow that emerges from the left side of the sphere, your light source should be in the top right corner. Conversely, for a shadow that emerges from the right side of the sphere, the light source should be in the top left corner.
The shape can be described as an eclipse. Keep this in mind as you read further instructions.
They will be used for mid-tone, or gradual shading of the sphere to help give it its 3D appearance.
Lightly draw them in freehand form, using the shape of the small oval (i. e. the highlight spot) and expanding outward until you have three increasingly large ovals. It is acceptable to leave a gap between the largest oval and the middle-most eclipse from the egg cup.
When you get to the highlight spot, it should be completely untouched.
Work from the lightest part—the highlight spot—to the darkest part to avoid pulling led from darker areas into lighter ones.
A spherical object Sketch pad or paper Pencil Kneaded eraser Blending tool, cotton ball, or tissue
You do not need to use a ruler for this, although you can if you would like to do so.
Sketch four very light, short lines in an open square shape. They should not connect with each other; rather, they should signify the four sides of the square. The lines need to be extremely light so that they are easy to erase later when touching up your drawing.
You can use comparative measurement to do this, meaning that you can create the size of your boundaries and axes by comparing the size of your model sphere to your pencil. Hold your pencil vertically so that it covers the sphere from top to bottom. Hold the tip of the pencil at the top of the sphere, and place your thumb on the pencil where it hits the bottom of the sphere. Lay your pencil on your paper without moving your thumb. Compare this height to the vertical axis you drew on your paper and adjust accordingly, if you choose. Repeat the process, except now measure the width of the sphere. Compare it to the horizontal axis you drew and, again, adjust accordingly if you would like.
Using your pencil, place it along the vertical axis with the tip at the top. Just like before, place your thumb at the bottom of the axis. Now, turn your pencil horizontally and compare that distance to the horizontal axis. Adjust the axes if one is longer than the other.
Add a first series of contour lines, in the suggested shape of an octagon. These lines will just barely intersect on the ends. Then, draw a series of smaller contour lines within the first set. This new set does not need to intersect, as they are adding to the rounded shape of the contour.
These help add to the circular shape you are creating.
Flatten your kneaded eraser to help you do this. It will make a thin, flat edge so that you can cleanly erase the stray marks and thickness of your new circle.
If your light source is in the top left, then the curved line should follow along the lower right side of the circle. Visa versa, if it is in the top right, then the curved line should be placed along the lower left side. This curved line is the start of the core shadow.
Keep this very dark shadow limited to the bottom of the sphere, with each edge tapering off just as it starts to creep up the sides of the sphere.
Smooth the shading with a blending tool, a cotton ball, or a tissue when you are done shading the area.
As you move toward the top of the sphere, you will shade in what is called a half-tone. This is a lighter shading than what you did on the lower half of the sphere, opposite of the light source.
The shading all around the highlight spot needs to be very lightly done to reflect that the light source reflects off of that area.
Remember to go from light-to-dark so that no excess graphite is smudged from dark areas into lighter ones.
