Corner Load Shading Tips

Corner Load Shading: This technique is great for creating a shaded border that looks crisp and dark on the outline edge and fades out, similar to arbrushed look.  The 1st picture below shows dark blue shading to border the robe, giving it detail, the second picture shows the outer edge of the eye being a darker shade as well as the brown shading around the eye and brow line; the third picture shows an entore scene created with just outlined shading in various colors.  Start with a clean square shader, dip in water and tap off excess.  Blot this quickly on a a towel to bleed out water and then dip corner of brush only into desired color of paint.  Tips for success: Always go to a test paper and press the brush fat and do short strokes applying pressure to see that your brush has the proper amount of water to help blend the color.  Performing these short pressured strokes on paper helps pull the paint from the corner of the brush slight over into the square edge of the brush, blending it with the water in the brush.  This creates that hard to soft stroke that is so perfect for shading.  Always place the hard sharp edge (corner of brush loaded with paint) along the edge you are intending to shade).  If the brush stroke is scratchy, you don't have enough water in the brush, if water pools on the paper when you do your test stroke, you have too much water.  I am currently working on my "Various Tips How to Technique Packet" which will describe this technique in full detail with pictures of properly loaded brush and test strokes along with how to correctly load and fix mistakes.  

Hope you are finding time in your week to get a little painting in!  

God Bless & Happy Painting

Shelley