Still Life & Value
Learn to see light, shadow and form.
Objects sit still, so a still life is the best place to learn value: how light turns a flat shape into a solid one. A week from a single sphere to a full master still life.
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The lit sphere Done
Every rounded form follows the same pattern: highlight, light, halftone, core shadow, reflected light, cast shadow. Find each one on the sphere before you draw it.
+3 more
Simple forms Done
Cubes, cylinders and cones. A flat face takes a single tone, a curved one a gradient. Decide which kind of surface you're looking at before you shade it.
+3 more
Fruit Done
Fruit is spheres that aren't quite spheres. Find the lit sphere pattern on each piece, then where the shapes overlap and cast shadows on each other.
+4 more
Ten strokes Done
Ten marks per drawing, no more. You'll have to decide which lines matter most: usually the big silhouette and the line between light and shadow.
+4 more
Reflective surfaces Done
Metal and glass are mostly reflections: sharp-edged shapes of light and dark. Draw those shapes exactly as you see them, however abstract, and the shine appears by itself.
+2 more
Memory drawing Done
The reference stays hidden. Hold P to peek, with 10 seconds of looking in total. Study the big value shapes before you start, then draw what you remember.
+1 more
A master still life Done
Ten minutes with a vanitas still life. These painters arranged light deliberately: one strong source, deep shadows, a few brilliant highlights. Copy their value plan, not every detail.
+1 more