Unfinished practice plate

CRW

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Oct 10, 2008
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Daphne, AL 36526
Thought I would post the practice plate that I have been putting a little time in on every day. My main objective on this plate is to develop a shading technique.
This is a condensed version of something like GraverTom drew for me in another thread.

I cut the small leaf at the right first just for fun, then added the left side for the shading exercises. If anyone has any help on a good way to shade, please let me know. At the present stage I am in, I am having trouble keeping my lines parallel but I know that will smooth out in time.
I am going to start a pen and ink drawing to show me what needs to have highlights and the directions of the lines. This plate is just some shading at random to see what the effect would be. There are still numerous areas on the pattern for shading practice. Notice the open areas without any shading.

As someone suggested in another forum that I need to watch Steve Lindsey's videos, and that I intend to do. That should help me a lot.
Thanks for looking, and all comments are more than welcome.
Carl

 

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vilts

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Estonia
Carl, shading seems to be the hardest thing to do right from technical side and you need not to worry if it doesn't work out right away. I know the feeling very well :). Sam has been kind to us beginners and put up quite a few superb examples of his masterful shading technique.

Here are few:
http://igraver.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1559&highlight=shading+exercise
http://igraver.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3809&highlight=shading+exercise
http://igraver.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1822&highlight=shading+exercise
http://igraver.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3815&highlight=shading+exercise

But, all in all, shading is 'just' many tapered lines at correct places :).

It's a fun journey, ain't it?
 
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CRW

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Oct 10, 2008
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Location
Daphne, AL 36526
Vitts
Thanks for the links. Since your post I have studied various methods of shading. I did not realize that the lines were tapered. Just that little phrase that you made about the tapered lines has helped me look at the shading a lot closer, and I can see exactly what you are talking about. What I think I need at this point is a whole lot of pen and ink drawing. If I use pen and ink, I cannot erase the lines and they will have to be precise in order for the light and darks to work. Drawing as I have mentioned before had really helped with my graver control. I think it has something to do with the thinking ahead and getting a mental picture of what the finished product is going to look like.
Anyway, Thanks for the wonderful tip.
Carl
 

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