4. WORK FROM LIGHTEST GREY TO DARKEST
I always start out with the lightest grey to define the outer edges of the shadow. Define is probably not the right word for that, as it shouldn’t be a defined edge, rather no edge that blends into the paper, but we’ll get to that later.
The lightest grey I use also depends on the paper. If I work on white paper, the lightest grey is, in that case, the actual lightest grey I have. On grey paper, on the other hand, the lightest grey should match the paper, so you can’t really see it, which makes blending easier.
After defining the space where the shadow is, I take the next darker shade and start where the shadow touches the object and blend it out, not going as far out as with the first shade. Continuing this with all the other shades I use. Also, don’t be afraid to make the shadow very dark, especially where it’s touches the object. I never use black when drawing shadow but the very darkest grey I have.
An uneven object doesn’t touch the ground at every spot, which should be visible in the shadow too. (Ex. Colour swatch)
Funny, as I was just about to ask you on your Instagram how you go about doing shadows! Glad I checked out your blog! Very helpful! Thank you
Thanks so much! Glad you like it!