Rendering.
Enhancing
form and surface.
Rendering is a process where designers and illustrators enhance the surface of their artwork to create an illusion of form. Three-dimensional rendering relies on conventions of visual literacy. When we see two-dimensional rendered drawings, we interpret them as three-dimensional pictures. There are many ways to create the effect of three dimensions on paper including the use of scale, overlapping objects, line, shape and colour. Besides these techniques of Perspective, designers develop form with the application of tone. The variation of tone on different parts of a drawing creates the effect of form on an object. This page will explore how to create form, surface and shadows on drawings.
Takeaways
Good to go
Rendering
Rendering is the process by which designers and illustrators enhance the surface of their artwork to create an illusion of a three-dimensional form on a two-dimensional surface. This technique utilises visual conventions such as tone, texture, and shadows to render flat drawings as realistic and dimensional as possible.
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Master the three basic forms first
Start with simple shapes, such as cubes (using flat planes of light, medium, and dark tones), cylinders (utilising linear gradients), and spheres (employing radial gradients that blend in all directions). -
Follow the three-step process for material rendering
Begin with a light base tonal render, add texture marks that match the material's characteristics, then finish with highlights and details using white pencil or paint. - Always establish your light source before you start
Use a cone-shaped arrow to mark the light direction, and maintain this consistency throughout your rendering to ensure that realistic shadows and highlights fall in the correct places. -
Practice from real life, not photos or other illustrations
Set up actual objects with different materials around you and draw what you observe directly. This builds your understanding of how light behaves on various surfaces and textures.
Introduction
When people write a story they use literacy. They use words; verbs, adjectives, nouns, etc. Writers used different conventions for different kinds of writing. In the same way, when we use visual literacy to represent an object or a building, we need to use visual conventions consistently to create a picture. The components of visual literacy for rendering include shape, colour, line, form, tone and texture. In the same way as an author uses literacy consistently, we must use visual conventions people find easy to understand.
We generally use a light source that is above an object. Then we apply shades of various tonal depths, which darken as they progress further from the light. It's important to conventions consistently to tell a realistic story about an object. In this way, our audience will read our drawing correctly and see objects as they are intended.
By contrast, not all people tell a story in the same way. Some people make jokes. The artist Pablo Picasso is famous for confusing viewers with his paintings. He used colours in a background that would leap forward yet soft pale colours in the foreground that should fade into the distance. This was for a good reason. Picasso wanted us to see familiar things in different ways. He wanted to ignite our imagination. However, our job as illustrators is to create a realistic representation of things. This page will show students how to create three-dimensional representations of objects using manual methods.
Rendering for form and surface
An amazing watercolour illustration on aircraft by Wilf Hardy, Eagle Annual, 1963.
Rendering for texture and materials
Here's how it's done! A perfect rendering of textures and tones by Robert W Gill, "Rendering with Pen and Ink". 1973, 1984, Thames and Hudson. p273.
Model answer
The final version of the rendering. The cast shadows have been added in black pencil. The cast shadows both on the object and the ground planes must project up, away from the viewer to demonstrate an understanding of the direction of the light source, shown with the cone-shaped arrow, coming from behind the viewer and on the left.
In the first stage, assess the surfaces and materials to be rendered and the direction of the light source. In this frame, I outlined the shape of the cast shadow first because I knew it would become difficult to determine once the rendering was started.
I added a light background colour to the wood plane.
I then added some variation to the flat wood plane to make it look natural.
Finally, wood-grain was created using parallel curvy lines. I modulate the pressure of the dark brown pencil so the lines are not consistent in width and weight. At this stage, I developed the form of the wood block by shading in the near side with dark brown.
In the same way, as done for the wood, the tank was coloured in on all planes with light tones of green and brown.
After the background colour was shaded for the tank, I developed the form by shading in darker tones of the same colours by pressing harder with the pencils.
In this step, I rendered the pencil that was used for the gun in the tank. I kept the top plane light and made the side planes darker to enhance its form. I then added some wood-grain to the pencil.
In this step, I rendered the stainless steel ruler with streaks of greys to represent its shiny surface.
In the second last step, I rendered the plastic of the snap-off knife. This detail needed care to enhance the form consistently with the light source. The last step was the cast shadows. This image is shown above.
Rendering for Form
Form is the name given to a three-dimensional shape. A form can be created by angled lines or shapes but when we draw forms with lines alone, they lack reality. Forms in real life are seen with different tones of their base colour as the light falls across their surface. In this first section, we will look at how to render form with tone.
Skill 1 – Interpreting a light source
Before we begin shading an object we must be aware of the location and direction of the light source. It is customary to work with a light source positioned above an object. It may be positioned in front of the object (our side of the object) or behind it. The position will greatly affect the way it is shaded. Before you render, make sure you have a clear idea about where the light source is. Look carefully at the images below. Look carefully also at the way the light source symbol.
Light source direction indicators
A light source can be represented as a kind of cone arrow, as shown in this image. Consider the location of the light source relative to each of the cylinders. The positions (from left) are front left, front right, rear left and rear right. Note how this changes the shade in the form.
The illustrator's keyboard
An illustrator's keyboard. 10 evenly spaced tones from white to black. Students will need to use all of the tones when they learn to shade in monochrome.
Basic forms
The first stage of rendering is shading. But what tones should I use? Consider the image above. I have created ten even tones ranging from white to black. Let's say we give these numbers. Call white 0 and black. All the steps in between are 1 - 9. This is our tonal range. We have ten different tones to use on any black-and-white illustration.
rectilinear
A rectilinear form is enhanced with three flat planes of different tones. Use a light, a medium, and a dark tone.
Cylinder
A cylinder is enhanced with a linear gradient. Blend light, medium and dark in parallel shading bands.
Sphere
A sphere is enhanced by the same three tones in an evenly blended gradient in both axes. This is called a radial gradient. In a radial gradient, the tones blend in both directions - vertical and horizontal.
task
Show I know ...
1.1 CHECK TONES
Look at the three images of geometric forms above. How have the tones been applied? If the cube has a light, a dark and a medium tone, what number would each tone be (from one to ten) on each plane? Examine which forms use flat planes of tone, which uses blends in one plane (a linear gradient) and which uses a consistent blend in all planes (radial gradient).
1.2 DEVELOP SKILL
Make a line drawing of each of the forms above. Shade them to practice creating light, medium and dark tones, then smooth gradients.
What sort of pencil should I use? For each of the rendering exercises use a 2H or HB pencil for the outlines, then shade using a 2B pencil. Keep it sharp to work up to your lines accurately.
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Skill 2 – Depicting colour
When we render objects to enhance their form alone we do this without respect for the colour of an object. We just apply light, medium and dark tones to a surface.
But there must be more to it. How can we apply tonal graduations with respect to the colour of objects we are rendering? Different colours have different tones when converted to a monochromatic colour scheme.
The illustrator’s colour keyboard
In this illustration, I have created a range of colours with three different tonal values. Below the coloured squares, I have changed this whole colour scheme into 'Greyscale'. Note how different or similar colours look now. How would you render different colours in black and white?
Floating boxes
Each of these four rectangular prisms is rendered with a light, medium and dark tone, but they are all rendered with a slightly different group of three tones. This is done to represent different colours for each form.
colour in Monochrome
Here is another fabulous watercolour illustration of transport vehicles by Wilf Hardy, Eagle Annual, 1963. Can you see how he has rendered the white car and the black rocket with a different range of tones?
Moving into colour
Now we understand how to enhance form with tone and how to choose tones correctly to represent colours, let's try it in real colour. Remember, what you have learnt with tone still applies to colour. In these two fine examples, A Year 11 student has shown the checkerboard box in two ways. She has developed light, medium and dark tones to represent two different, contrasting colours.
Greyscale
This example is a fine rendering done to represent two different colours on a cube in greyscale. Beth Richardson.
colour
This example shows the same cube in colour. Note how the student has created different colours (actually tones of each colour) to represent the light, medium and dark tones of each. Beth Richardson.
task
Show I know ...
2.1 COLOUR IN GREY TONES
Make a line drawing of a group of boxes like the one above. (Use 2-Point Perspective or Isometric). Shade them to represent different colours of boxes in the same way as shown in the illustration. Remember to use light groups of light, medium and dark, then dark groups of light, medium and dark tones.
2.2 COLOUR IN GREYSCALE AND COLOUR
Create two checkerboards or Rubik’s Cube in Perspective or Isometric. Choose two different colours - one light and one dark. Render them in both greyscale and in colour. Remember to create three tones - dark, medium and light for each colour.
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Rendering for Materials
Now that we have learnt how to enhance form with shade we need to turn our attention to the surface of objects. Different materials have their own visual characters. In this section, you will learn how to depict a range of hard, soft, opaque and transparent materials for design ideas, concepts, presentation drawings and examinations.
WHAT MATERIALS WILL I NEED TO RENDER?
In Visual Communication Design students will have to be able to render many different materials and surfaces for their practical work and for the examinations.
By the end of your course you should be able to render;
- soft and hard materials,
- shiny and matte surfaces,
- transparent materials.
One suggestion is to learn how to create them in two-dimensional swatches and then move on to three-dimensional examples. Let's take them one by one. You need to master all of these. Below are some images of many of the surfaces students need to master in VCD.
soft materials
Fabric
Leather
Recycled paper
Paper
Brush
Hard materials
Wood
Satin metal
Shiny or chrome metal (lower)
Plastic
Rubber
Enamel (paint) satin
Enamel (paint) gloss (upper)
Ceramic
Metal checker-plate
Concrete
Brick
Plaster
transparent materials
Translucent plastic
Glass
CAUTION
Good to know
LEARNING HINT
Each rendering technique you learn should be based on observational drawing of real objects and their material textures. It seldom works to copy the techniques of professional illustrators as you will not be representing textures, you will be representing other people's versions of textures. Your work will lack structure.
The techniques on this page are not designed to make you an artist, nor to help you create original artwork that offers an original perspective on the world. By contrast, they are meant to help you to produce symbolic representations of surfaces. They are not true artistic interpretations of life but shortcuts to making your drawings realistic. Therefore, reference professional illustrations, but don't copy them.
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SKILL 3 - PRODUCING SURFACES
In most cases rendering any textured surface involves a three-step process. This applies to creating most materials.
Step 1
First, create a base tonal render - without trying to represent the texture of the object. Keep it light, the texture will add tone to your work and darken it.
Step 2
Next, add the texture of the materials. Create lines in directions that make the texture look real.
Step 3
Finally, add further shades, details or highlights with a white pencil or paint on a fine brush.
For example
The two examples at right show how to lay down a base tonal texture first and then add marks to represent the actual texture. The final detail stage has also been done over the second image in each pair.
First, put down your light, medium and dark tones to block-in your form.
Next, go over the form with lines to represent the texture. Finish off with some white painted details.
A second example shown here is for wood-grain.
For wood grain. First, put down your base tones; light, medium and dark. As an extension, I made different 'planks' with slightly different shades of my base colour.
Next, go over the form with lines to represent the texture. Finish off with some really sharp, dark lines to emphasise the boards.
Soft materials
Hard materials
A recyclable shopping bag has a rich fabric texture and muted highlights.
Here is a marker rendering of a pair of shiny black leather boots. I worked it up with greys, leaving gaps for the paper to show through. Finally, I finished with some white paint. Note, on shiny surfaces you get real deep shadows and very bright highlights.
A VCV trial exam image of a digital watch with a glass face and leather insert on a chrome band. Note, the areas I left white to emphasise shiny materials like glass and chrome.
A VCAA exam image of a cloth bag with contrasting straps and shiny buckles. Always work up base tones first, then add texture.
Gloss enamel or paint surface. In fact, any shiny surface will render the brightest reflective highlights and deepest shades. This Japanese lacquer bowl has a high polish and reflects light from nearby windows.
Matte surface renders dull highlights and soft shadows. Matte or flat will require the least contrast from highlights to shadows to render.
Hard materials
Wood grain as seen on this beautiful old B&O speaker from 1979. A rich red rosewood veneer with an aluminium detail strip.
Two stainless-steel milk jugs in different finishes. A satin metal one sits in front of a polished stainless-steel jug. Note, the difference in the reflections, highlights and shadows between the two finishes.
Shiny metal. This material shows the highest contrasts of light and dark tones.
Satin plastic. Satin plastic has subtle highlights and shades yet reflects some light on the upper surfaces.
Gloss or shiny plastic. A VCV trial exam image calling for shiny chrome and plastic.
Textured rubber is shown on the grip of this large torch. Note the ways the light falls and the difference between the highlights generated on the anodised aluminium body of the torch and the rubber grip and front end.
TRANSPARENT MATERIALS
A drinking glass. The top half is clear and the bottom half is frosted. Clearly shows how reflections and highlights fall on the two surfaces.
Flat glass coffee table. The thing is with glass, it is transparent so in order to show it, shade it light aqua and generate some bright reflections as if coming from a window above.
Translucent plastic light cover. This bike taillight makes a complex subject to render a coloured, see-through, plastic cover.
surface samplers
The best way for students to improve their skills in rendering is to complete a set of practice examples directly from life. They should observe and draw from direct observation.
Students should try making one of these sampler pages to develop their skills in rendering. Work from observation with real objects.
No seriously, take a look at this group by student Alana Lacy! Did you really think colour pencils could work like this? Try it for yourself.
task
Show I know ...
3.1 Surface sampler
Seriously, the best thing you can do to improve your rendering is to practice drawing from life. This means, don't use photos but draw in front of real things. That's what I did.
Go around your house and choose objects bearing each of the surfaces in this section then make a surface sampler page like the one shown here. Try them all, you can never be sure which ones you will need in your folio.
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Creating cast shadows
For added realism, illustrators add shadows that are cast onto objects and from them onto the ground plane. This section will examine how shadows work and how to draw them so that they fall in the correct direction.
Cast shadows
Here are some beautiful strong shadows falling from furniture around my pool. Note how the shape is like a flattened shape of the form that is cast. Note also that they are in a transparent kind of grey colour. Nice.
See how, on this angle, the sofa shadow is projected down, away and parallel with the chair.
Yet on this angle, the shadow from the chair extends further away because it is higher. Note, also how the shadow begins at the legs and kind of mirrors the form of the chair, upside down.
SKILL 4 - INTERPRETING A LIGHT SOURCE FOR SHADOWS
Before we begin rendering shadows cast from objects we must be aware of the location and direction of the light source. It is customary to work with a light source positioned above an object. However, in addition, the light source may be in front of the object (our side of the object) or behind it. This position will greatly affect the way a shadow is cast. Before you render, make sure you have a clear idea about where the light source is. Look carefully at the images below. Look carefully also, at the way the light source symbol is shown.
In this version of the image shown at the top of this page, shadows cast by each light source have been included.
HOW TO MAKE CAST SHADOWS
There are two terms used when describing shading on a drawing. We need to be clear about the difference between them. Here's an explanation;
- Shade to emphasise the form of an object means to make gradients in tone on the surface of the object. Just describe the light as it falls over the object's surface.
- Creating cast shadows means creating a translucent shade (light grey you can sort of see-through) that results from the light passing over, either protrusions on the object or the object itself, and are drawn either on the object or the ground.
The purpose of this section is to discuss cast shadows, that is shade that is cast by objects.
It is a pretty difficult science to work out the precise position of cast shadows in a Perspective drawing. If you really, really want to work them out you will need to refer to books on the subject. Alternatively, Google it. Just as there are books on how to construct accurate, measured perspective projections, there are equivalent instructions for creating accurate cast shadows. However, the science of real cast shadows is too complex for our purpose, so below is a simple and effective method students can use.
THE BASIC CONCEPT
What we need to know as students, is the basic concept of cast shadows. We need to know approximately how and where to draw them and even more importantly, how to align the sides of shaded areas. I have constructed a very basic illustration of this process. Read the steps below, then try it for yourself.
task
Show I know ...
4.1 PRACTISE SHADOW DIRECTION
Create a series of four objects. Mark a light source on each using a conical arrow (as shown in the illustration above). Render a cast shadow from each object, in the correct direction.
4.2 PLOTTING CAST SHADOWS
Follow these steps to become an expert in drawing cast shadows:
- Make a copy of the box drawing shown above.
- Make sure the light source is at the point inside the Old Vanishing Points (this will approximate a light source behind the object with the shadow coming forward). This creates a cast shadow.
For further practice, try moving the light source up and down. See how this causes the shadow to be longer or shorter. Try it on a more complex sketched object like a car.