Do you need to know how to shade in order to paint?

Question

I can draw fairly well but I've been working at shading my drawings for several weeks now and I just can't seem to get the hang of it. I want to start painting but is shading essential?

Answer 1

Do you mean putting down the values to give your subject form? I wouldn't let that stop me from painting though. Why not open your paints and experiment with color.

I just bought Kevin Macpherson's book Fill Your Oil Paintings with Light and Color. It's a great book on painting and he does discuss values throughout the book. You can get it in soft cover for 20 bucks and it's worth every penny.

Good luck and don't forget to have fun.

Answer 2

Yes and no. If you want to paint pictures from your mind then absolutly, but if your painting from a still life and you are very very good and color and tone matching then you could in theory create a perfect painting without knowing how the light is working.
If you want to be a great painter, you should definatly try and learn shading, Start by drawing basic shapes, spheres, cones, cylindes, cubes and learn to shade them. once you can shade simple shapes start looking at more complex objects. Any complex object can be broken down into simpler ones. if you can shade a cone you can shade a lamp shade, it's just a cut-cone. if you can shade a sphere you can shade a bowl etc...

Answer 3

Several weeks!! Go to the library, get some books on drawing, and do your homework. If you don't have the patience to let your art develope with practice, all you are going to do is make a mess with painting.

Answer 4

If you do not have shading, or light and dark areas, your painting or drawings will be flat. Light is a key element in most artistic forms. Check out other artists who's work you admire and see how they use light.