The Key to Realistic Drawings

The key to realistic drawings falls rather heavily on one key element. Sure, you should be able to capture a likeness with some competence. That’s a given. But creating a line drawing is one thing. Creating a fully rendered realistic drawing is another thing entirely.

That key element is value.

Value, or shading, is what gives drawings (or paintings, or digital drawings) that quality of realism. Value gives a sense of depth and form. I’ll be discussing things from the drawing on paper perspective but apply the tips to whatever medium you prefer.

Proper value turns the same flat, grey circle into a sphere no matter what medium you’re using. (Image Credit: Myra Naito)

In the digital image above, I started off with a plain grey circle. It’s just a flat, ordinary shape. But as I added highlights and shadows (value) to it, it becomes a sphere. A realistic form. It’s the same circle in both images. One only has one value and the other has plenty. Makes a huge difference, doesn’t it?

Don’t get hung up on getting the exact color either. That’s not the issue.

It doesn’t matter if your artwork is in black and white or full color. If you want the sense of realism, you have to master value. I could draw a giraffe entirely blue. If I have my values correct, your eye will believe it. It will look more realistic than an artist who struggles getting the exact…