BASIC SHADING AND BLENDING – To incorporate darker colours from the same blending group, we utilise the technique we first visited when testing our paper for its blending properties. This is commonly known as the ‘flick blending method’

For now we are keeping the shading positioning fairly basic – assuming a direct front-on light source – much like that created when you photograph someone face-to-face using a flash. Imagine that the light will fall most harshly on those parts closest to you – the front of the head, the centre of the face and the torso. Keeping this in mind, add your next darker colour (the middle colour in a 3-marker family) from the outside edges to the centre. Position your angled brush end on the stamped outline, and flick into the centre, slightly lifting at the end of each stroke – this will allow more ink to remain at the shaded side and less on the trailing edge where we will be blending with the existing base colour.

Once you have all of your shading in place, go back to your original (lightest) base colour and use the circular method to re-colour over the 2 shades where dark meets light. A gentle touch here will result in a subtle blend (a more distinct variation between the shades) Whereas a heavier hand will create a seamless blend between the 2 colours, resulting in a smoother shading effect. I prefer to retain a significant variation between my shades but it is a personal preference thing. Experiment to decide what suits you.

 Remember:

• Use the middle colour from your chosen family

• ‘Flick’ the brush end from the edge to the centre

• Colour in a circular motion back over the join using your lightest, original base colour

When it comes to shading – do what comes naturally – you might get a ‘feel’ for where the shading should go. Try to ‘read’ the image for clues. Keep it simple for now – we will elaborate on this idea later. I have imagined a camera flash from directly in front of Rosalie – this helps to decide where you need to add your second colour and where you need to leave it lighter.

Here’s Rosalie now, there’s still a long way to go, but she’s starting to look much better already:

 Here are some tips for how I have incorporated the first level of shading on this image:

 HAIR: Work from the root to the tip – so flick from the centre of the scalp outwards both left and right of the parting, and for the fringe, use very tiny flicks from both the top and the bottom of each section. Add more E35 in other places where you think her hair would be darkest – just under and above the ribbon tie, the braided hair closest to her face where you can see that it sits behind her cheek.

FACE: Flick in to the centre from the sides and bottom more than from the hairline, this will create a sense of ‘roundness’. Add your second colour as a drawn line in the small areas such as her neck and the outer edges of her legs and the top parts of her legs just under the skirt.

DRESS: Flick in from the outer edges to the centre, and down from the waistband. If you flick up from the hem as well, you will create the impression that she has a pot belly. Notice the waistband – darker colour was only added to the edges.

SHOES: Rosalie’s shoes are a good example of ‘reading’ the image for your shading clues. It is clear that one shoe is behind the other. If the light is coming from directly in front of her, then the shoe behind will be darker, particularly at the points closest to the shoe in front, where that shoe obscures the light. You can also see that the strap of her MaryJanes sits in front of the rest of the shoe, so it would be lighter than the main part of the shoe. The strap itself comes from the other side of her foot, and crosses over to the front, so we know that the part of the strap furthest away from us should be darker too.

For SOCKS AND PETTICOAT – I have treated the white paper as my base colour here – so my second colour from white could be any very pale colour – starting with 0 in most cases.  

Next week we add our third colour, and the basic Rosalie will be almost complete. Then comes Advanced Colouring!