How to Shade Complex Forms - major mass FIRST; minor SECOND Video Lecture

okay so in the future what I'm going to
follow up on what I was discussing in
the prior video about drawing complex
forms in terms of identifying major and
minor forms now in this you toriel I'm
going to give some tips on how you can
shade complex forms from the perspective
of thinking about major and minor forms
or dominant and subordinate forms so
you're thinking about the forms that are
larger and underlying the blower's are
underlying masses and how do you shade
something keeping that in mind so in
other words the underlying dominant mass
should always be the one that determines
the lightening shadow pattern okay but
overall it can eat you can easily get
lost or tricked by what you're seeing on
the surface because you may not see like
okay that there's a consistent like
light pattern following all the forms
okay now what I mean by that is let's
show you a simple example let's use a
less use of block first block is very
simple so let's use a block so you have
a say we have a block like so all right
now we have a light source coming from
this direction okay so obviously this is
going to be the lighter side because
it's most directly facing the light
source then this one would be second so
let's leave this the color of the paper
to say it is direct light this is
indirect light so it's lightest okay
this is in the middle is grey it's
getting some light but not as as much as
this is and this side is definitely not
getting much light at all because it's
facing away from the light source okay
now let's say we have some smaller
masses let's say we have some smaller
forms like like
this okay say we have another one like
this alright and there's another one
like this
so these are smaller blocks now if they
are receiving the same light here as
this is right then the similar value
pattern is going to be found on these
okay
there you go
and of course right here is going to be
gray gray and gray see so what I'm
illustrating here is that there's a
consistent value pattern on all of these
forms based on the same hat receiving
the same light like from the same light
source okay they receive they're being
illuminated from the same light source
okay same direction everything so the
value patterns are pretty much the same
because they are block forms right good
now let's say we had a form that looks
something like this
so what I'm going to show now is an
example of a form that combines all of
these and this can be something that
relates to the head alright or any other
form that you draw okay so let's say we
have something like that
see so basically I've just attached
these forms to this now what do I mean
in terms of having you know the value
pattern follow the dominant form now the
first thing is when you're drawing
something you always try to feel for
what's the larger underlying mass what's
the larger underlying mass okay and
let's just say we have this in the same
light here so this is in gray this one
is in deep shadow because this is facing
away from the light source like so okay
now we have these smaller forms how are
we going to treat these forms or do with
these forms well they have to conform to
the overall value pattern and overall
value pattern is this so in other words
whatever is happening up here this
larger mass is going to dominate that so
up here isn't in light you can leave
that the way it is but I'm going to say
okay this is the shadow here so there's
a consistency that we're
see that this is also going to be in
shadow now see what I did here though
the line do you notice that here we're
having light and light now we're going
to leave these light because we know
that this is what's going on
individually no we're going to make sure
that they confide to the overall mass so
that means this would be in shadow as
well see because it's confiding it's
kind of conforming to what's going on on
the larger mass so the same thing with
the head if you're having you know um
you're drawing the nose the nose should
be consistent with the overall value
pattern of the entire head see what I
mean
I'll top here so you know decided to
make this too dark I just made it a gray
and this is a gray because yes this side
is facing away but it won't be as dark
as this because overall is getting a lot
of light on the top being on the top of
the form so it won't be as dark as this
so in other words I'm thinking about
what's going on the larger mass when I
do these smaller forms okay and as this
is a very simple example but it's
illustrating a very important point that
light and light and shadow the value
pattern should always be consistent with
what's going on or be dictated by the
larger underlying mass so for example if
I were going to say tighten up or you
know emphasize the contours here see I'm
making this really bold really bold see
I would do that similarly with this
however I won't make this too strong
because it's on the the middle value
side of the form similarly with up here
I would make it this too deep but make
this outline be very light and it will
conform to the lighter contour of the
light side okay so there is a
consistency that goes on with the
smaller forms now let's say we have
something else let's say we have a say
we have a cylinder
I was cylinder like so alright so if we
had a similar light
source again we're going to have shadow
alright and then it's going to get
lighter as it goes around to where the
light is it's really light okay and here
maybe little gray but here is worth this
is this air will be the direct light
area because this part is facing the
light source directly so there'll be a
streak of light now this is the general
value pattern of a cylinder let's say we
have some some old void forms here and
there and also in the same light see
they gradually get lighter shadow
gradually get lighter see we have a
couple here we have a small one same
value pattern pretty consistent right so
now let's say we have these small forms
and this larger on the line form so this
is the major mass minor masses major
mass minor masses and this is what you
see this is what you see this is what
you envision or visualize or think about
this is reviewing the thinking process
and how you would approach something
like this okay so now let's say we're
combining these together and it looks
say we have a cylinder like that this is
the form your own right and I save you
have something like that
see what's going on here so now let's
say this this is the what I see and I'm
drawing however I'm thinking about it
like this see some ignoring all these
smaller surface forms and I'm thinking
about the larger underlying mass so I am
going to shade this just like a cylinder
just like this then it gets lighter as
it goes around to the light same thing
with this see now so what I'm showing is
that even before I put that pay
attention to the surface forms
I'm already laying in the underlying
value pattern that follows the larger
underlying mass the dominant mass the
major mass okay this is the major mass
minor masses dominant subordinate okay
so now I'm making sure that these now I
can shade these smaller forms to conform
to the larger underlying mass see that's
what's going on here
these are following the larger dominant
mass now as I get here these are being
shaded in a lighter way why because I am
following what's going on underneath see
I may even make this completely shadowed
see that I'm just going to open this to
emphasize the whole light and shadow if
light is coming from this side then this
is going to be in light and this is
going to be in shadow because this is
facing away see when you think about
things like this it makes shading really
easy okay because you're thinking about
direction and orientation of the surface
where is the surface facing and see here
I handle it really lightly so even a
contour down here would be really bold
and it gets lighter as it goes up here
really bold and lighter as it goes up to
here see that
so that's what I did I just notice here
I don't even shade in some of the areas
because in light areas to create the
illusion of strong light you have to
leave things bleached out details cannot
be seen just like when you observe
things when you observe things that are
receiving a lot of light they don't seem
they don't reveal details that easily
because the light is so brightly lit
that area is so brightly lit the details
are bleached out so when you're when you
want to create the illusion of areas
that are in bright light like here the
direct light area you leave Deitz some
of the details you just leave them out
and that will reinforce the idea that
okay this is in shadow similarly here
when areas are in shadow some of it will
appear obscure see like you can't make
out what's going on see so this is
thinking about combining so the point
I'm making here is the big idea again is
that you're focusing on the larger
underlying mass the cylinder this is the
major mass here this cylinder and
everything else conforms to this these
are just additions into this okay this
comes first
shadow light gray area see that's how
I'm thinking all right now let's see
let's just make an example over here I'm
just going to draw I think in the last
you relate to the leg I'm going to do a
leg again now show you maybe I'll do a
leg here an arm or whatever but there's
to show you the same idea of how you you
focus on the larger simpler larger
underlying math the major mass and then
the superficial the surface forms follow
the value pattern of the large on the
line mask
okay so see this is an example of what I
mean see how intricate this looks with
all these surface forms and whatnot
but I am at first basing my own shading
on this basic feeling here everything
for this arm right here is based on this
so everything turns here so it goes like
this
goes like this see that that's the
overall value pattern only here is on
the shadow and up here is in light see
and that's the same thing on the here is
in shadow it follows this see that this
is facing away and shout out this is
facing up towards the light okay and
that is what I'm following so even
though I am drawing these little surface
forms in all these little muscles and
all that stuff that is secondary to the
larger dominant mass see and that's how
you have to think as well you know base
your shading on the underlying larger
mass and not on the little itty-bitty
details and stuff going on so eventually
I would darken you know these contours
especially under the shadow side under
here to emphasize that down here is in
shadow see I deal with here lighter
lighter and this is in shadow same thing
over here here is really deep and this
is really light see I don't even try to
carve out the details up here I leave it
pretty light and I don't need to go in
there and mess with that because that's
just how we perceive this is based on
how we perceive things and I think that
that pretty much drives the idea
that I'm trying to communicate to you
guys that you focus on the major
underlying mass the simple mass
underneath and everything else is just
embellishing all it's just superficial
it's just details okay that follows
secondary that is secondary that follows
after do the first thing which is
focusing on the bigger dominant simple
underlying mass and then lay on top of
little details you know I could even
break these forms up smaller if I chose
to but it is enough to illustrate the
idea hopefully you guys got some points
on this and you know remember that this
is a part of a series so if you may have
called this like this video and not
seeing the ones I did before I would
suggest that you follow the whole series
of drawing the complex forms from you
know combining simple forms to what we
have right now and it will really really
you know enhance your understanding of
the drawing process okay not just
literally doing what you're seeing but
thinking about how to see things alright