Question: Cross hatching on shading

don hicks · Jul 9, 2014

I am wondering if there are set rules for doing cross hatching on shade lines, for example : Should they be equally spaced, perpendicular to the shade lines or wider at the foreground and narrower at the back, straight or curved to reflect the surface they are on, or all of the above and more. I know they can be over used. Where should they be used? All responses will be stored in my few remaining empty brain cells.
Thanks for your responses.
Cheers
Don

silverchip · Jul 9, 2014

Hey Don, My take on cross shading is that it supposed to enhance the darkness of the shade. So as it lightens up it should be gradually smaller, lighter and spaced increasingly farther apart. Lee Griffiths shows a great explanation of this principle in his book. Good art basics and a fun study.

zippy · Jul 9, 2014

Don,hi it's zippy take a look at my engravings, everything is cross hatching, you can do this on blue or silver,zippy.

tim halloran · Jul 9, 2014

Don: Look in the tips archive. Sam Has a tutorial on shading that will tell you everything you need to know.

Marcus Hunt · Jul 9, 2014

Some folks like to keep cross hatching equidistant but, personally, I use Silverchip's approach.

castagnos&s · Jul 10, 2014

I would say that dave nailed it. And his advice as per Lee's book is spot on you can't go wrong with the advice of either of those guys.

Dani Girl · Jul 11, 2014

My two cents worth. Note that I'm still struggling to make my cross hatching look anything good and I'm constantly going too heavy so I think being minimalist with it is best.

One approach I've used just lately is only crosshatching if I want really dark blacks or only on the onderside of the scroll where it curls under and you want that really dark. That gives a nice look. I think angled looks a little more natural but that's just me. Curved even more so but it's more challenging. Do what you can do well.

When I crosshatch it's really light and far apart near the lighter part of the leaf and then gets deeper and closer together as i go back into the darkness.

Some bank note engraving can be inspirational... but that's a little off subject. Good luck

FANCYGUN · Jul 11, 2014

Cross hatching can be over done and over power the main shading lines as they gracefully converge. One trick I use when shading and cross hatching is.I shade with my 105 and cross hatch with my 90. In this manner your cross hatched lines will be finer than the standard shading lines so as not to interefere with them too much. As staed by others, the cross hatch lines get closer and deeper as we want our shading to get darker. Don't over do it though. You can also try to cross hatch without power. It's not that hard to do.

dlilazteca · Jul 11, 2014

I can't remember who said it but I know I read it in a book that I bought or dvd, but it said something to the sorts, if your shading is done well there is no need for cross hatching.

Saludos,

Carlos

don hicks · Jul 12, 2014

I just reread Lee Griffiths book Art and Design Fundamentals. He said if shading is done correctly the need for cross hatching is greatly reduced, however it is a technique that he does use. He also uses the techniques listed above regarding spacing , depth of cut etc.,
Thanks everyone for your replies.
Cheers
Don

Marcus Hunt · Jul 12, 2014

dlilazteca said:
I can't remember who said it but I know I read it in a book that I bought or dvd, but it said something to the sorts, if your shading is done well there is no need for cross hatching.

Saludos,

Carlos

Not sure I quite agree with that Carlos. Cross hatching for the sake of it is a no no, but used correctly it can add extra life and dimension. But sometimes I do see cross hatching where it does nothing to add to the piÃ¨ce. Used carefully, it's perfectly legitimate to use cross hatching when shading.

Lee · Jul 12, 2014

A lot of good responses. It seems a good mindset to have when shading is to attempt to shade so no cross hatching is needed and use cross hatching as a technique for subtle refinement. At times it appears that cross hatching is used to camouflage or rescue a subpar shading effort. Excessive cross hatching can kill the flow and movement of the primary shade lines and/or make a piece look very mechanical. The primary shade lines are a wonderful opportunity to reinforce the movement of the leaf, scroll, and overall design. Don't throw away cross hatching but make sure it is decidedly secondary and an enhancement. I will at times consciously and with purpose cross hatch in a mechanical way to kill detail and push an area away such as shadows or underlying layers in shadow.

Brian Marshall · Jul 12, 2014

Over the years I have seen a couple of examples where the cross shading would normally have been considered overused - but actually gave a unique look to the work that was quite attractive...

I wish I could remember whose work it was? Had to have been on the forums...

In the end, I suppose all is in the eyes of the beholder.

Brian

diandwill · Jul 12, 2014

http://www.craftsy.com/blog/2013/07...ngagement&utm_campaign=Drawing Club-Followers

Good article on shading I found on facebook

dlilazteca · Jul 13, 2014

Love the replies, always fun to learn,

would it be safe to say that if you use cross hatching you would be forced to use it more in the piece your engraving? In other words Like Lee stated you use it to save some bad shading, but once you tred those waters, wouldn't you be force to continue to use hatching for balance and flow?

Saludos,

Carlos

don hicks · Jul 13, 2014

Carlos;
I don't think Lee said to use it to save bad shading, only to use it sparingly to enhance certain areas of shading.
Cheers
Don

dlilazteca · Jul 13, 2014

Don,

I don't think I might have made myself clear in other words once you use it for example on the side of a 1911 slide you will be forced to use it sparingly throughout the slide, to keep balance and flow, it would look weird if you have cross shading on one side of the slide but not on the other.

Saludos,

Carlos

Andrew Biggs · Jul 13, 2014

I like cross hatching as it gives depth and helps to deepen shadows and add contrast. It also helps add form to leaves etc. It is also used to soften edges.

Personally, I think that an engraving without cross hatching looks incomplete and can even be viewed as rushing the work, or lazy technique.

It's almost as if a lack of cross hatching has become a fad like bell bottom jeans or paisley printed shirts.

Cheers
Andrew

dlilazteca · Jul 13, 2014

Andrew Biggs said:
I like cross hatching as it gives depth and helps to deepen shadows and add contrast. It also helps add form to leaves etc. It is also used to soften edges.

Cheers
Andrew

To soften edges, very interesting, are there some examples you can point me to I really want to learn.

Thanks Andrew

Saludos,

Carlos

atexascowboy2011 · Jul 14, 2014

Carlos

Yes , it WOULD look "weird" not crosshatching the second side ,AFTER, crosshatching the first.
Primarily because you have broken "The Golden Rule Of Mirrored Images", (mirrored sides), as applied to scrollwork.

Question: Cross hatching on shading

Elite Cafe Member

~ Elite 1000 Member ~

Member

Elite Cafe Member

~ Elite 1000 Member ~

Member

~ Elite 1000 Member ~

~ Elite 1000 Member ~

~ Elite 1000 Member ~

Elite Cafe Member

~ Elite 1000 Member ~

~ Elite 1000 Member ~

~ Elite 1000 Member ~

Elite Cafe Member

~ Elite 1000 Member ~

Elite Cafe Member

~ Elite 1000 Member ~

Moderator

~ Elite 1000 Member ~

Elite Cafe Member

Sponsors