Shading Exercise for Beginners- Improve Your Realism

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What’s the best way to start practicing shading? What exactly is 'value', and why is it so important in art? And what skills do you need to shade something realistically?


One of the most important skills you can develop as an artist is the ability to see and reproduce values- the full range of light to dark within your subjects.

Why does this matter?

Because value (otherwise known as tone) is what gives your drawings depth, volume, and a sense of realism. You could have the most perfectly proportioned drawing, but without a convincing range of values, it will look flat and lifeless.

In today’s tutorial, I’ll guide you through a step-by-step value study of a simple still life: three apples.

​This exercise is designed to strengthen your observational skills and help you simplify what you see into manageable stages. Practicing exercises like this will take your shading to the next level, making your drawings feel more three-dimensional and alive.

What is Value in Art?

In drawing and painting, value or tone refers to the degree of lightness or darkness of a color.

Every color has its own value range, from its darkest version to its lightest.

In real life, nothing around us has a single, flat value. Even objects that are just one color are affected by light and shadow, which create a variety of tones in what we see.

As artists striving for realism, we need to learn to see these tonal relationships so we can accurately recreate them in our drawings and paintings.

​Understanding and using value/tone effectively allows you to:

• Create strong contrast and visual impact
• Suggest realistic lighting and form
• Build the illusion of three-dimensional space

​For beginners, it can feel tricky to determine which areas are lights, mid-tones, or darks. But the more you train your eye, the easier it becomes.

That’s why practical exercises, like this apple still life drawing, are so helpful for developing your skills.

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Choosing and Preparing a Reference Photo
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The first step is selecting a reference that works well for a value study.

Look for images that have:

• Clear highlights, mid-tones, and shadows
• A single, identifiable light source
• Simple shapes you can easily break down
  
  

For this exercise, I chose a reference of three apples with strong lighting. I also prepared the reference in a few different ways:

• Full-color version- to see the subject in its natural state
• Black-and-white version- to focus on values without the distraction of color
• Posterized version- created with a digital filter that simplifies value shapes into clear “puzzle pieces” or abstract shapes
  
  

Using a posterized reference can be especially helpful when you’re just starting out, because it makes the different tonal areas much easier to identify.

This effect can be done easily in photo editing software such as Photoshop or Affinity. 

*Left: Black and white photo *Right: Posterized photo 

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​Breaking Down the Values
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When working on a value study, I like to start by simplifying everything into three main groups.

• Lights- the lightest areas (values 1–3 on a nine-step scale)
• Mid-tones- the middle range (values 4–6)
• Darks- the darkest areas (values 7–9)

Even just blocking in these three groups will make your drawing start to feel more realistic and three-dimensional.

From there, you can refine further- adding gradual transitions, layering graphite to deepen the contrast, and developing a more nuanced range of tones.

This is how you create drawings that feel both structured and lifelike.


Watch the Step-by-Step Tutorial
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In the video below, I’ll take you through the entire process of drawing and shading this still life of three apples, from the initial block-in sketch to building up a full range of values.

If you enjoyed this video and found it helpful, make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel. I share a new video every week.*Subscribe HERE*

​Whether you’re a complete beginner or already have some experience, I encourage you to give this exercise a try. Practicing with simple objects is one of the most effective ways to train your eye and improve your shading skills.


In this public Patreon post, you’ll find the reference photos I used for this exercise, so you can follow along at your own pace. You'll find them attached at the end of the post. 


Download the reference photos here.



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Recommended Drawing Supplies

Faber-Castell 9000 Series Drawing Pencils Set of 6 on Blick.com

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General's Art Eraser Set on Amazon.com

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Strathmore Drawing Sketchbook 9x12" on Amazon.com

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Mr. Pen Kneaded Erasers 18 Pack on Amazon.com

​For a full list of my current favorite art supplies, go here. 


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Mastering value takes time and consistent practice, but it’s one of the most rewarding skills you can develop as an artist.

Once you can confidently identify and recreate lights, mid-tones, and darks, your drawings will immediately gain a new level of depth, dimension, and realism.


So grab your pencils, download the reference photos, and dive in! This simple study could completely transform the way you see and shade your subjects.

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