Bring your drawings to life with smooth, realistic shading.
Imagine looking forward to the shading stage of your drawing.
You feel calm, focused, and confident. You reach for the ideal pencil without second-guessing. Your hand glides across the page, creating subtle transitions and lifelike depth and dimension.
You know how to create believable light and shadows, and how to smooth out uneven values.
Your drawing comes alive before your very eyes. You can almost reach into the paper and pick up the 3D object you’ve drawn.
This confident, flowing shading experience isn’t just for “naturals” or pros. It’s a skill that you can learn:
"The Techniques I Now Use in Every Drawing"
"I was attracted to this course by the exquisite, smooth, soft shading Marina achieves in her eye drawings. In contrast, my own shading was grainy, choppy, patchy, with similar edges overall, and no clear separation of dark and light values in the right places.
In this course, Marina taught me that we begin to shade by learning to see and organize values. She then introduced me to shading techniques that yield beautiful, soft, even value transitions throughout the drawing, and I use them for all of my drawings now.
I draw with new confidence having acquired these new skills.
Marina is an absolute gem of a teacher! I heartily recommend this course to anyone seeking quality art education in representational drawing."
-Tepor E., Graduate of Intro to Smooth Shading and the Eye Drawing Intensive
In this 5-module video course, you'll learn the essential components of smooth shading, and practice each one through targeted, focused exercises.
You'll develop the technical skills, knowledge, and modes of seeing that make smooth shading not only possible - but enjoyable.
Curriculum: Intro to Smooth Shading in Graphite
Module 1:
Shading Smooth, Even Values and Gradations
Build the foundation of realistic shading by learning how to control your pencil and apply smooth, even values.
You’ll explore graphite pencil grades, practice three essential shading techniques, and learn how to draw value scales and smooth gradations.
You’ll also discover what causes scratchy, uneven shading - and how to fix it with simple evening-out techniques.
Module 2:
Simplifying and Organizing Values
Learn how to see like an artist by understanding how light behaves on form — and how to translate that into simplified, organized values.
You’ll explore a core concept that makes realistic shading much easier, then put it into practice with a powerful exercise designed to train your eye and strengthen your shading decisions.
Module 3:
Blending Tools & Drawing Nuanced Value Differences
In this module, you’ll explore how to draw subtle value differences with clarity and confidence — using an engaging multi-colored paper exercise to strengthen your eye.
Plus, dive into blending tools: when to use them, when not to, and how to avoid the most common mistakes that lead to muddy or artificial results.
Module 4:
Shading Convincing Edges (for Depth and Dimension)
Move beyond “flat” drawings into ones with true dimensionality by learning to control edges — the key to realistic depth and form.
You’ll train your eye to see different types of edges in your references, and practice techniques for softening, sharpening, and blending them to create that polished, three-dimensional look.
Module 5:
The Edge Design & Gradation Design Exercises
You’ll begin this final module by practicing how to see, analyze and draw values and edges accurately — essential steps in gaining control of your shading.
Then, you’ll apply everything you’ve learned to design and beautifully shade your own unique composition — a personal piece that reflects your growing skill, confidence, and vision.
Who You'll Learn From:
Hi! I'm Marina.
I'm a professional visual artist, arts educator, former Tenure-Track college professor of visual arts, and Founder (or 'Drawing Source'ress') of TheDrawingSource.com
In my creative practice I make 'drawing installations': large-scale drawings that transform an entire space, such as the one below. (Yes, entirely hand-drawn using charcoal on white paper!)
I wasn't born with smooth shading skills!
When I was learning to draw, realistic shading was the ability I most coveted.
It also seemed like the most unknowable and impossible area of drawing!
If smooth, believable shading seems like sorcery to you – you're not alone. It’s often perceived to be a magical ability that you're either born with or not.
However:
Smooth, realistic shading is an entirely learnable skill. I would love to show you how.
Access Intro to Smooth Shading in Graphite inside the Drawing Decoded membership,
my library of foundational drawing courses.
You'll also have access to:
A one-module course providing foundational, technical skills needed for realistic drawing.
Learn block-in strategies for drawing different subjects from photography and life. *Course being developed
All complex forms are a combination of basic ones. Learn to shade the basic ones here!
Learn 10 accuracy and measurement techniques, train your eye and perceptual skills, and more!
Learn the rest of the stages of the drawing process, and practice linking them together smoothly.
Practice the entire drawing process by drawing the flower above with me, step by step, in charcoal.
Learn to use white pencils on black paper to create dramatic drawings. *Course being developed
Improve your dexterity, control and drawing technique with short daily exercises.
Develop a productive mindset while learning to draw: often the biggest challenge when learning a new skill!
What makes a good reference for drawing? How do you choose one? Find out in this course.
Learn to edit your drawings so they look as accurate and professional onscreen as they do in person.
Twelve courses!
All for $29 USD/month.
No time commitment. Cancel anytime.