How to Shade an Egg
- 1). Make an egg-shaped outline on your drawing paper. While the size of the egg is up to you, using a larger outline allows for greater flexibility as you begin shading.
- 2). Decide on the location of the light source. If you're new to shading, imagine that the light is coming from directly over the egg.
- 3). Make smooth, heavy lines along the bottom curve of the egg. When an egg is top-lit, the darkest part of the shadow is alongside the lower curve. The bottom curve of your egg should appear black to very dark gray.
- 4). Proceed upward along the curve of the egg with your pencil, lightening your strokes to achieve a mid-tone, and then a very light gray. The tonal shift from black to dark gray to light gray should be smooth. Go over your work repetitively with a light touch to achieve this subtlety.
- 5). Fade the light gray into the bright whiteness, or highlights, at the top of the egg. Use many very light pencil strokes for realistic results during this step.
- 6). Smooth the shaded areas of the egg together using your thumb or pointer finger. This is an essential step if the tonal progression in the shaded area is noticeable. Make gentle curved movements with your finger to retain the natural curve of the egg.
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