In this series, the fundamentals of drawing and shading are reviewed and then used in dry, wet, and digital media. The lesson starts with a review of media needed, such as vine and compressed charcoal, graphite pencils and different types of erasers, and how best to use them. Then, practice drawings of a cube and sphere are made to show the principles of value and how to use shadows to produce a form. ”

Next, the students are led through the steps of creating a portrait using the drawing basics they have learned, using charcoal, paint, and finally Adobe’s software program Photoshop. A form is first blocked out using simple shapes and mechanical lines to create accurate proportions. The proportions, shapes, and placements of face, body, and features are reviewed during the process. After the basic shape has been drawn in, value is masked over and the background is colored in to show contrast while working. Value is added by shading from dark to light. Color is layered after the blocking stage, manipulating opacity and temperature of hue to create realistic shades on the face. Detail is added with a smaller brush. See how Ron Lemen turns his drawings into reality with Drawing Fundamentals.