Chiaroscuro We will be learning how to ‘shade’ our drawings to help create the illusion of depth!

Chiaroscuro A word borrowed from Italian which translates as, "light and shade" or “dark.” It refers to the modeling of volume by depicting light and shade through contrast. CHIAROSCURO STILL LIFE by Michelle White, BFA, Painting, 1991

Chiaroscuro (what we call ‘shading’) This is one means of strengthening an illusion of depth on a two-dimensional surface. Chiaroscuro was an important topic among artists of the Renaissance. The Rest on the Flight into Egypt, ca. 1512–15 Gerard David The Jules Bache Collection, 1949 (49.7.21)

Here is a list of ways to create depth! Let’s try the following in our sketchbooks…. Label each of your drawings Overlapping Cross-contour lines Foreshortening Perspective Chiaroscuro!

Interesting fact… On May 28, 1998, Jody-Anne Maxwell (Jamaican, 1986-) won the Scripps Howard National Spelling Bee by correctly spelling the word "chiaroscurist" -- an artist who uses chiaroscuro. You are on the way to becoming “chiaroscurists” yourselves! ;)

Here comes the VOCABULARY!!! You will be introduced to quite a few terms. Don’t get overwhelmed… You will learn it and practice it! And you will master it!!!

Value The lightness or darkness of tones or colors. White is the lightest value; black is the darkest. The value halfway between these extremes is called middle gray.

Value Scale An organized linear scale of color swatches ranging from the lightest of values to the darkest of values. A value scale is a tool that artists use to help interpret the appropriate values.

Gradation A smooth transition between black and white We want to make our gradations as smooth as possible. If values are not blended smoothly, your drawing will have a ‘striped’ look!

Highlight The highlight represents where the light directly hits the object. We use the white of the paper to show the highlight.

Light tone The light tone is the second lightest value on an object. They are shown as light gray and usually border the HIGHLIGHTED area.

Half (mid) tone The half tone is medium gray. The half tones would be next to the light tones. Lets review… Highlight Light tone Half tone

Shadow Edge The shadow edge is dark gray. The shadow edge is where the object begins to get darker due to a shadow! Shadows are not solid…they have gradations too!

Core Shadow The core of the shadow is the darkest part of the shadow -- the place where the least light hits the object. These dark values are what really makes your drawing come to life!!

Reflected Light Reflected light is what makes the core of the shadow appear to be away from the edge of the object. It is where light is reflected from a nearby area onto the object. Careful observation of reflected light will help you make objects more convincingly round looking.

Cast Shadow The cast shadow is the shadow the object casts onto another surface. This kind of shadow usually has a hard edge, which can help you distinguish it from a modeling shadow. A cast shadow will be darkest closest to the object casting it.

Drawing Pencils We will be using drawing pencils for our value studies. Drawing pencils come in a range of values. Artists use the value of the pencil to do the work…not pressure.

Coversheet How many of you have ended up with ‘pencil-hands’ after drawing?? We do not want our hands to smear our hard work. Use a coversheet when you draw! (a paper-towel)

Tips Apply light even pressure. Use the value of the pencil…not pressure. Shade evenly in ONE direction (diagonal, horizontal, or vertical) choose one and stick with it. Shade in each area more that once to eliminate any shading gaps. Keep your paper surface clean, use a cover sheet and NO SMUDGING WITH YOUR FINGERS!