Hatching and Crosshatching

Volume and Value.

One way of creating the illusion of volume in our drawings is to use modeling.
Modeling represents the change from light to dark across the surface of a shape (the highlights and shadows cast on an object).

Modeling (or shading) is all about the use of Value.

Values is a gradation of tone from light to dark.
White> Gray> Black

***Remember: Value is not color!***
Colors have value but value is the lightness or darkness of the color, thus you can have a red and a blue that are the same value, despite being different colors.
(One way to see this is to convert a color picture into grayscale/ black & white.)

There are many ways to create value in art. One method we are using is mark-making: hatching, crosshatching, and stippling. Below are some extra examples:

(click to see the images larger)

from 200 Projects by Valerie Colston

Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain by Betty Edwards

And as you work on your own assignments don't forget there is no one absolute correct way to use hatching. (see below) There are different paths to the same destination, find the one that works best for you and your piece!






Student example of stippling