The best examples of shading techniques for illustrative drawings

Real-world examples of shading techniques for illustrative drawings

Let’s start where artists actually live: on the page. When you look at strong illustrations in comics, children’s books, or editorial art, you’ll notice that the best examples of shading techniques for illustrative drawings rarely use just one method. They’re layered.

Picture a fantasy character portrait:

• The face is softly blended so the cheeks feel round and the nose has gentle transitions.
• The armor is shaded with crisp hatching to suggest hard metal.
• The background uses loose cross-hatching and broken lines to keep it less detailed and push it back in space.

That mix of shading techniques is what makes the piece feel rich instead of flat. So instead of thinking, “Which single technique should I use?” ask, “Which combo of shading techniques fits this subject?”

Classic examples of hatching and cross-hatching in illustrative drawings

When people ask for examples of shading techniques for illustrative drawings, hatching and cross-hatching are usually first on the list. They’re the backbone of pen-and-ink illustration and still dominate graphic novels and editorial drawings.

Hatching: lines that follow the form

Hatching is simply a series of parallel lines, but the way you place them can transform a drawing.

Real example: In many black-and-white portrait illustrations, you’ll see hatching that curves around the cheekbones and jaw. The artist isn’t just filling space; the lines follow the form, wrapping around the face like contour lines on a map.

Try this on a simple sphere:

• Draw light, curved hatch lines that follow the curve of the ball.
• Pack the lines closer together in the shadow area.
• Leave more white space where the light hits.

Even without blending, that sphere will suddenly feel three-dimensional.

Cross-hatching: stacking directions for richer shadow

Cross-hatching is hatching layered at different angles. Think of it as building shadow in passes.

Real example: Look at classic pen-and-ink book illustrations (public-domain works by artists like Franklin Booth or Joseph Clement Coll). The darkest shadows often use three or four directions of cross-hatching, each layer slightly closer and darker.

In your own work:

• Start with light, single-direction hatching.
• Add a second layer at a different angle only in the darker shadow areas.
• For the deepest shadows, add a third angle or tighten the spacing.

This gives you a full value range without ever touching a blending stump.

Soft shading examples: blending, smudging, and gradient transitions

Some subjects need softness: skin, clouds, fabric, smoke. If you’re looking for examples of shading techniques for illustrative drawings that feel smooth and atmospheric, blending is your friend.

Graphite and charcoal blending

In traditional media, artists often:

• Lay down light, even graphite.
• Use a blending stump, tissue, or clean finger to soften edges.
• Reinforce the darkest areas with another layer of pencil or charcoal.

Real example: In many editorial portraits, the artist will keep the facial shading very soft and controlled, then contrast it with sharper, textured hair or clothing. That contrast in shading techniques directs your eye straight to the face.

Digital soft shading

On tablets, soft round brushes or airbrush tools do the same job:

• Start with a mid-tone layer.
• Brush in darker tones on a low-opacity brush.
• Erase softly to carve out highlights.

You’ll see this a lot in modern character concept art and webcomics, where artists mix clean line art with soft, painted-style shading to get a hybrid illustrative look.

Textured examples: stippling, scribble shading, and broken tone

Not everything should be smooth. Texture can say a lot about your subject.

Stippling for controlled, graphic texture

Stippling uses dots instead of lines. It’s slow, but the control is incredible.

Real example: Many botanical and scientific illustrations use stippling to show delicate value shifts on leaves, shells, and insects. Because dots can be placed very precisely, you can create subtle gradients without any visible lines.

How to use it in your own illustrative drawings:

• Use dense dots for deep shadow under a chin or inside an eye socket.
• Use sparse dots to hint at mid-tones on cheeks or fabric.
• Combine stippling with line work so the focal point has the most dot density.

Scribble shading for energy and speed

Scribble shading looks exactly like it sounds: controlled scribbles that follow the form.

Real example: In fast editorial sketches or live-drawing sessions, artists often use scribble shading to block in shadows on clothing or hair. The energy of the scribble matches the looseness of the drawing and keeps it from feeling stiff.

This is a great example of a shading technique for illustrative drawings when you want:

• Quick value without obsessing over precision.
• A sketchbook style that feels alive and expressive.

Modern examples of shading techniques in comics and digital illustration (2024–2025)

If you scroll through current comics or illustration portfolios, you’ll see some clear 2024–2025 trends in how artists shade.

Cell shading with painterly accents

A lot of digital illustrators use cell shading: flat blocks of shadow with hard edges. It’s popular in animation and webcomics because it’s fast and reads well on screens.

Real example: In many popular webtoons, you’ll see:

• Flat color for the base.
• One or two layers of hard-edged shadows for clarity.
• Occasional soft gradients on cheeks, skies, or magic effects to add depth.

This hybrid approach is one of the best examples of shading techniques for illustrative drawings that need to be both efficient and visually striking.

Limited-palette shading for mood

Another current trend is using a very limited value and color range to create mood.

Real example: A night scene in a graphic novel might be shaded almost entirely with dark blues and purples, with only a few lighter tones for faces and key objects. Shadows are simplified, but the atmosphere is strong.

This style works especially well when you’re:

• Designing for print with strict color limits.
• Building a consistent visual identity for a series.

For a deeper look at how human vision perceives value and contrast (which heavily influences shading choices), resources like the National Eye Institute and NIH publish accessible explanations of how we see light and dark.

Matching shading techniques to subject: practical examples

The best examples of shading techniques for illustrative drawings aren’t about showing off; they’re about serving the subject.

Portrait illustration

For faces, you’ll often see:

• Soft blended shading on cheeks, forehead, and neck.
• Gentle hatching under the nose, bottom lip, and jawline.
• Dark, crisp lines and cross-hatching in eyelashes, eyebrows, and hair roots.

Real example: Many magazine-style portrait illustrations keep the skin almost airbrushed while using sharper, more graphic shading on clothing and background shapes. This keeps attention on the expression.

Product and object illustration

For objects like gadgets, shoes, or packaging:

• Smooth gradients show glossy surfaces.
• Sharp-edged shadows define corners and seams.
• Small, high-contrast cast shadows anchor the object to a surface.

Illustrators working with industrial designers often rely on these shading techniques to communicate form and material. Art and design programs at universities such as MIT and RISD (Rhode Island School of Design) regularly teach these approaches in drawing and visualization courses.

Environment and background illustration

Backgrounds usually get:

• Simpler shading than characters.
• Broader, less detailed shadows.
• More texture to suggest materials (brick, foliage, clouds) without stealing focus.

Real example: In many storybook illustrations, characters have clean, controlled shading, while trees, grass, and buildings are shaded with looser strokes or watercolor-like washes. That contrast keeps the narrative clear.

Step-by-step practice: building your own examples of shading techniques

You don’t need fancy subjects to build skill. Some of the best examples of shading techniques for illustrative drawings come from boring objects drawn well.

Start with simple forms

Grab a pencil (or tablet) and choose three basic forms:

• A sphere
• A cube
• A cylinder

For each form, try shading it three different ways:

• Hatching only
• Blended graphite or soft digital brush
• Cross-hatching plus a little scribble shading in the darkest areas

You’ve just created nine small, real examples of shading techniques you can refer back to.

Add light direction and cast shadows

Pick a clear light source: top-left, top-right, or straight above. On each form:

• Darken the side away from the light.
• Add a cast shadow on the surface it’s resting on.
• Soften or sharpen the edge of that shadow depending on how harsh the light would be.

This simple exercise trains you to think like an illustrator instead of just “coloring in” shapes.

If you want a science-based refresher on how light behaves (reflection, diffusion, etc.), physics and art departments at universities like Harvard often share educational material that can reinforce your understanding.

Combining techniques: the real secret behind polished illustrations

Most polished pieces are layered. When you study the best examples of shading techniques for illustrative drawings, you’ll almost always see combinations like:

• Base shading: a light overall tone, either flat or softly blended.
• Structural shading: hatching or cross-hatching to reinforce planes and edges.
• Texture shading: stippling, scribbles, or broken lines for materials (fabric, stone, skin texture, hair).
• Accent shading: the very darkest areas, placed sparingly to direct the eye.

Real example: In a noir-style character illustration:

• The face might have subtle, soft shading.
• The trench coat gets bold, angular hatching.
• The background fades into loose cross-hatching and big shadow shapes.

By thinking in layers, you can control how busy or quiet each area of the drawing feels.

FAQ: examples of shading techniques for illustrative drawings

Q: What are some basic examples of shading techniques for illustrative drawings I should learn first?
Start with hatching, cross-hatching, and simple blending. These three will cover most needs: hatching for structure, cross-hatching for deeper shadows, and blending for soft transitions like skin or fabric.

Q: Can you give an example of mixing multiple shading techniques in one drawing?
Imagine a character standing under a streetlight. Use soft blending on the face where the light hits, cross-hatching in the coat’s folds, stippling in the darkest shadows under the chin, and scribble shading in the background buildings. That mix keeps the focus on the face while still making the scene feel rich.

Q: Are digital shading techniques different from traditional ones?
The tools are different, but the logic is the same. A soft airbrush mimics graphite blending, a textured brush mimics charcoal or dry brush, and hard-edged cell shading mimics cut-paper or inked shadows. Most examples of shading techniques for illustrative drawings translate directly between paper and screen.

Q: How do I choose which shading technique to use for a specific illustration?
Ask what matters most: speed, mood, or detail. If you need speed, go for simple cell shading or loose hatching. If you want mood, use soft gradients and big shadow shapes. If detail is the goal, lean into cross-hatching and stippling.

Q: Where can I study real examples of shading techniques used by professionals?
Look at high-quality reproductions of comic art, editorial illustration, and classic pen-and-ink work. Many art schools and libraries host digital collections; university sites like Yale’s art galleries or The Met’s public domain collection (though not .edu, it’s a major reference) are great places to zoom in on line work and shading.

Shading is not about memorizing one perfect method; it’s about building a personal mix of tools. Study these examples of shading techniques for illustrative drawings, steal what works for your style, and keep experimenting. Over time, your shading will stop feeling like guesswork and start feeling like a deliberate, confident choice in every illustration you make.