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How to Paint a Sphere in Acrylics Using Scumbling to Blend – Tutorial

Aug 11, 2011 Painting, Tutorials

Before attempting this tutorial, I would suggest you read both How to Shade Your Drawings and Blending Acrylic Paints. The first article will teach you what you need to know about the different values (areas of light and dark) on a sphere, and the second describes in more detail the scumbling technique.

So, it occurred to me that while I have done a lot of drawing tutorials, I haven’t done a huge amount of basic painting tutorials. This is back to the basic painting for those of you just starting out. This kind of exercise is good practice for painting any kind of three dimensional object with a rounded surface.

In this tutorial we will cover how to create depth through the use of shadows, mid tones and highlights, as well as how to blend the three basic values together. I am using the scumbling technique here because I think it’s probably the most basic and common technique used by people learning how to paint with acrylics. The technique lends itself well to the quick drying time of acrylics.

One disclaimer: This is not the only, the right, or even the best way to paint a sphere or anything else. This is one method using one technique, simplified for the sake of the tutorial. Once you gain some experience, you should experiment to find your preferred way to paint.

Okay.. let’s go!

For this tutorial, I will be using just two paints: raw umber and white. This way we can use value to create form without being distracted by colour. I like to use a raw or burnt umber to create shadows instead of black. I find that it gives shadows more depth, while black is very flat.

Before we actually start painting, let’s do a quick exercise to get some practice mixing different values. Paint a value scale that has pure raw umber on the left and pure white on the right. Try to create a scale that shows an even and gradual transition from one value to the next.

Start with a simple line drawing that shows the shape of your sphere as well as the values within it.

Starting with a value in the middle of your scale (3), fill in the mid-tones, or everything that isn’t a shadow or a highlight.

Next, fill in the shadow area with raw umber, leaving a slight buffer between it and the mid-tones.

Now it’s time for our scumbling. Mix a colour close to 2 on your value scale. dry brush this on the edge of the shadow area. Slowly add more white to your paint, bringing the value to a 3 as you work away from the shadow and blend into the mid-tone.

Let’s do the same with the highlight. Remember, that only the very, very centre of the highlight will actually be pure white. Fill this in, leaving a large buffer. You will need more room to get a gradual gradation here.  Now we can very slowly add the umber to our paint, working our way backwards on the value scale. Scumble this in with a dry brush until you get to the mid-tones. Don’t be afraid to blend over top of the mid-tones to get a smooth gradation.

Tips to Remember

• Paint on canvas or a textured paper, you will need the tooth to be able to scumble effectively. Don’t use smooth paper (like I did, oops!).
• Make sure your brush is nice and dry for the scumbling; no water! Keep a paper towel handy.
• If you’re having trouble mixing the subtle values (as in, you add a tiny bit of umber to your white and already it’s too dark), try mixing your mid-tone value first, then add that a little at a time to your white to darken it.
• Don’t forget that acrylics dry slightly darker.
• Remember, this is not an exact science! It will take time and practice. If you find your shadow growing to take over the whole mid-tone area, mix up more of that middle value and scumble back on top. There will be a bit of back-and-forth. This is normal!

There you have it, a three-dimensional sphere done in acrylics with a scumbling technique. Once you’re comfortable with this, try your hand at some apples or oranges. Have fun practicing!

Tags: acrylic painting, blending, Tutorials

Dry-Brushing, Scumbling, Scrubbing – Blending Acrylic Paint

Jun 6, 2010 Painting

Although smooth blending can be done in acrylics, it takes a lot of time and patience. And if you screw it up, you pretty much have to re-paint the entire area. I find it much easier to blend acrylics using a dry-brush technique, which works better with the acrylic paint’s quick drying time.

Scumbling is blending two colours together when one colour is already dry. It’s also called dry-brushing because the paint brush is loaded with very little paint.

To achieve this affect, you basically drag your brush across the painting surface without pressing too hard. For this to work, you need to have a textured surface: canvas works perfectly. The paint from your brush gets left behind on the surface of the tooth of the canvas, letting the other colours show through beneath. If you want it darker, you press harder.

See below for a very quick video tutorial on how to dry-brush!

This picture shows how you can create a gradation with the scumbling technique. I started out pressing hard, then dragged the brush away in short strokes, using less and less pressure.

This picture shows how scumbling can be used to blend colours. Here I have dry brushed red over yellow. By controlling the pressure of my brush, I can create a smooth gradation between the two colours. Because of the same illusion used in dot painting, the colours blend visually and we see orange.

The great thing about scumbling is that if you mess up, all you need to do is scumble the other colour back on top to even it out. It’s not as finicky as smooth blending.

Scrubbing

I’m sure sure this is a technical term, but it’s the word I use to describe a slightly different technique. Instead of using steady brush strokes to scumble, this involves scrubbing your brush into your canvas. This can be hard on your brushes, so I like to use one that’s already a bit fuzzy. It also works better with a brush that has shorter, stiff bristles. Personally, I like scrubbing more than controlled dry-brushing because it’s more spontaneous and intuitive.

Video Tutorial

Disclaimer: I feel like I need to admit that this video isn’t  of the best quality… I obviously need to learn how to work my camera better, because it goes in and out of focus. I wasn’t going to include it at all, but I decided to for two reasons: one, I did all the work already, and two, it does clarify how exactly to use your brush to apply paint in a scumbling or scrubbing technique.

Hope it helps!

Tags: acrylic painting, blending, dry-brushing, scumbling

Smooth Blending with Acrylics – Can it be done?

Apr 21, 2010 Painting

In short, yes! Smooth blending with acrylic paints is extremely tricky, mostly because they dry so fast. The key is to work quickly, using some kind of substance to extend the working time of the paints.

One of these substances is simply water. A little bit of water mixed into the paint will extend its workability. You can also use a spray bottle to give your entire painting surface a light mist. This moisture will allow you to work the paint longer.

Another substance that is available is called acrylic retarder. This is a liquid specially designed to delay the drying of acrylic paints. You can buy it at most art supply stores and it’s fairly inexpensive. Remember, a little bit goes a long way. If you use too much, it can compromise the integrity of your paint.

How to Blend

The following is a really quick tutorial on smoothly blending acrylic paints. This can also be called wet blending because both colours are wet (as opposed to scumbling, which is when you blend two colours when one is already dry).

I have to apologize; I tried to make this a video tutorial, but my poor camera had some focusing issues.

This is a very simplistic example of how to blend smoothly, but it’s a good place to start practicing, and the principles can be applied to more complex subjects.

First, you want to start with the two colours you want to blend. Place them side by side.

Next, spread the colours out to fill in the areas you want to paint, painting up to the other colour but not crossing over. Leave a small space between each colour.

At this point, it’s really important that the paint is still wet in the middle where you will blend. If it’s not, add a little more. Take a fresh brush, a wide flat one is best, and stroke down the middle. This is where a video would have come in handy, but it’s pretty simple. Repeatedly stroke down, moving the brush slightly to each side to let the paint overlap. In this example, I had to be careful that the darker, intense blue didn’t take over the yellow. Whatever you do, don’t flip your brush around or you’ll end up with blue in the yellow and vice versa.

If you want a a soft, but definite line where the two colours meet, don’t move the brush too much. If you want the colours to blend gradually over a large area, move the brush a little bit more with each stroke.

You will need to be careful that you don’t over-work this too much. As the paint dries, it will become sticky and your brush could begin to take paint off the canvas! The trick is to go quickly, and use a tiny bit of water or retarder if you need. If you’re working on a large area, this is even more important!

Tags: acrylic painting, blending, paintings

How to Make a Tortillon in 5 Easy Steps

Dec 6, 2009 Drawing

1. Get a piece of paper. Any kind of paper will work, including computer paper. Experiment with different kinds and see if there’s one you like best!

2. Cut the paper in half diagonally, about an inch from each corner. You now have the makings for two tortillons.

3. Starting at the short edge, roll the paper up as tightly as you can. This might be a bit tricky at first, but you’ll soon get the hang of it!

4. Use something long and thin to poke into the end of your tortillon. The wrong end of a skinny paint brush works well! Push the tube out to create the point.

5. Use a small piece of tape to secure the end and voila! Your very own homemade tortillon!

I used to do this all the time when I first started drawing. I had to practice a few times before I could remember the exact technique, but it’s not at all difficult.

A blending stick is just a tightly rolled piece of paper. Tortillons are not exactly expensive, but making your own can save a bit of money. It can also save your butt if you desperately need a clean one and you can’t go buy one!

If you’ve just read this and you’re thinking, “What the heck is a tortillon?” a tortillon is a tool that you use when shading pencil drawings. It can also be called a blending stick or blending stump. Have a look at my drawing tools page for more details!

Tags: blending, getting started, tools, Tutorials

How to Shade a Sphere – Tutorial

Sep 4, 2009 Drawing, Tutorials

Aside from being an impressive skill to brag about to your friends, knowing how to draw and shade a sphere can really help you when it comes to realistic drawings. The shading of a sphere is what shows us that it is a round, three dimensional object and not just a flat circle. Once you know how to shade a sphere, you also have the tools to shade an apple, the tip of a nose, the cheeks and forehead. The principle is the same!

When drawing a sphere, you need to consider your light source.

Here we can see that the light source is coming from the left of the sphere. This puts the highlight on the left of the ball, and casts a shadow to the right. You can see on the bottom right where the light has bounced off the floor and back onto the sphere to create a reflection in the shadowed area.

Here, the light is coming from the front and to the left of the sphere. This changes the shadows. Now the cast shadow is coming from the back of the sphere, and the highlight is more towards the middle. Notice that we still have a reflection at on the back edge of the sphere.

In this example, the light is coming from behind and to the left of the sphere. The cast shadow is in front and the highlight towards the left, top edge. The area of reflected light is now much bigger, and our shadow is darker.

Backlighting is much more dramatic. The highlight is along the very top edge and the shadow is very deep.

How to Shade a Sphere Tutorial

I’m going to be working from life for this one, using the first example as a reference. Your first step is to draw the outline of your sphere and the shadow it casts using a B pencil. To get the shape of the shadow right, it can sometimes help to draw the whole thing on top of the sphere, then erase your lines.

Next, outline the edges of your shadows and highlights. I usually draw the highlight bigger than what I want so that I can shade up to that point and blend past it. You want to keep the highlight as white as possible.

Still using your B pencil, start to very lightly shade the area around the highlight. Work your way to the edge of the sphere and the edge of the shadow.

Squint to see the more subtle shading of this shape, and add another darker layer along the edge of the shadow. You don’t need to press any harder, just keep shading the same area until it gradually gets darker.

Now take your 2B pencil and shade in the entire shadow area. Try to make a gradual transition between the shadow and the midtones. You don’t want a solid line between the two.

Again, we’ll use the same pencil to shade in another darker layer where we see the darkest shadows.

Now the fun part! Use your blending stick to blend your pencil marks together. It’s important to work from light to dark. Start at the highlight and blend inwards, keeping the center free of graphite. You want the white of the paper to show through as the brightest part.

Next, we’ll work on the cast shadow. The edge of the sphere against the cast shadow should be nice and sharp. Since the cast shadow is the darkest value, use a 4B pencil to shade in the area directly underneath the sphere.

Using your 2B again, shade in the rest of the shadow. You’ll notice that in my reference, there is a second light source (the window) that is causing different shapes to appear within the shadow.  This second, dimmer light source is casting a second, lighter shadow.

Now you can blend out the shadow. Pay attention to the edges of your cast shadow. It is sharper closer to the sphere and gets lighter and softer the further away it gets. At this point, you’re almost done! All you need to do is use your kneaded eraser to clean up your edges and re-define your highlight and the reflection. Voila, a sphere!

Now you can use your skills to draw virtually anything with a rounded shape. The rules are the same! A highlight, a range of midtones, the shadow with a reflection, and a cast shadow! Practice this using a ball and a lamp to hone your skills and try out different light sources. Have fun!

Tags: blending, getting started, shading, Tutorials