Show Us Your #ShadingTechniques
Create a shaded pencil drawing of a simple object using hatching, cross hatching, stippling and blending to show light and shadow.
Step-by-step guide to create a shaded pencil drawing
The 7 Elements of Art Explained: A Fun and Easy Guide for Kids! 🎨
Step 1
Clear your flat surface and lay out your materials within easy reach.
Step 2
Put your small object in the middle of the surface where you will draw.
Step 3
Place a single light source to one side so the object casts a clear shadow.
Step 4
Look carefully and lightly mark the direction of the light and the darkest shadow on your paper.
Step 5
Lightly sketch the simple outline of the object in the center of your paper.
Step 6
Make a small test patch of parallel lines on the paper corner to practice hatching and see how pressure changes tone.
Step 7
Use hatching with parallel pencil lines to shade the mid-tone areas of the object.
Step 8
Add cross-hatching by layering perpendicular lines to darken the shadowed side.
Step 9
Use tiny dots (stippling) with the pencil tip to create textured shadow areas or soft transitions.
Step 10
Gently blend where needed with a blending stump or tissue to smooth transitions between techniques.
Step 11
Use a softer pencil to add the darkest accents and deepen the core shadow.
Step 12
Use the eraser to lift small highlights and clean the edges of your drawing.
Step 13
Take a photo of your finished shaded drawing and share it on DIY.org.
Final steps
You're almost there! Complete all the steps, bring your creation to life, post it, and conquer the challenge!
Help!?
What can we use if we don't have a blending stump, a softer pencil, or a strong lamp listed in the instructions?
For the step 'Gently blend where needed' use a rolled tissue, cotton swab, or your fingertip as a blending stump substitute, swap in a 2B–6B pencil or a piece of charcoal if you don't have a softer pencil for 'Use a softer pencil to add the darkest accents,' and position a flashlight or desk lamp to one side as the single light source so the object casts a clear shadow.
My shadow looks faint or my drawing keeps smudging—what should I fix in the steps?
If the shadow is faint reposition the single light source closer or further to one side before you 'lightly mark the direction of the light and the darkest shadow,' and to avoid smudging rest a scrap paper under your drawing hand and use the 'small test patch of parallel lines' to practice lighter pressure on hatching.
How can I adapt this shading activity for different age groups?
For younger kids simplify by tracing the object's outline and doing only the corner 'test patch' and basic hatching or stippling, while older kids can add layered cross-hatching, detailed stippling, blending stump smoothing, and use softer pencils to deepen the core shadow.
How can we extend or personalize our shaded drawing beyond the basic instructions?
Extend the activity by drawing the same object with different single light positions to compare shadows, experimenting with colored pencils over shaded areas, labeling light direction and shadow types on the paper, and then photographing the finished piece to share on DIY.org.
Watch videos on how to create a shaded pencil drawing
13 Easy Art Projects To Try At Home
4 Videos
13 Easy Art Projects To Try At Home
26 GENIUS IDEAS FOR YOUR ART PROJECTS
How To Prepare And Display Your Art In A Show In 6 Steps
5 Fun and Creative Art Ideas to get you Inspired
Facts about pencil shading and drawing techniques
✏️ Graphite pencils are graded from 9H (very hard/light) to 9B (very soft/dark) — use different grades for crisp lines or deep shadows.
✖️ Cross-hatching layers intersecting lines at different angles to build richer, more textured shadows.
💡 Chiaroscuro means "light–dark" and is the art trick of using strong contrasts to make drawings look three-dimensional.
📏 Hatching uses parallel lines to suggest tone; closer lines read as darker values while spaced lines look lighter.
🔵 Stippling creates tone with dots — packing dots tightly makes deep darkness, while spread-out dots look lighter.
How do I teach my child to create a shaded pencil drawing using hatching, cross-hatching, stippling, and blending?
What materials do we need for the #ShadingTechniques pencil drawing activity?
What ages is the shading techniques drawing activity suitable for?
What are the benefits of practicing shading techniques like hatching and stippling?
One subscription, many ways to play and learn.
Only $0 after trial. No credit card required