Introduction to Drawing
Lesson 1 of 3 6 min +40 XP

Line, Shape & Shading

See like an artist.

What you'll learn

  • Draw basic shapes
  • Use contour lines
  • Add simple shading
Seeing edges, not objects

Artists don't draw 'a cup' — they draw the exact curve of its edge and where light fades to shadow. Learning line, shape, and shading is learning to see what's really in front of you instead of the symbol in your head.

Everything starts simple

Complex objects are built from simple shapes — circles, squares, triangles. Draw the big shapes first, then add detail. Shading (light to dark) makes a drawing look solid.

Value

Value is how light or dark something is. Pressing harder with a pencil makes a darker value.

Knowledge Check

+10 XP / correct

1. What should you usually draw first?

2. In art, 'value' means…