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My instructor told me to never use pure black for shading, and she was totally right.
I tried it on a portrait last week, using a dark blue instead, and the whole piece instantly looked more natural and less flat. Has anyone else found a simple color rule that made a big difference?
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danieltaylor22d ago
I get what your instructor is saying, but I actually use pure black for shading all the time. It gives my digital paintings a really bold, graphic look that I love. Sometimes that flat, stark shadow is exactly the mood I'm going for. It just depends on the style you're after.
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kai_west9d ago
Yeah, rules are made to be broken though. I saw what @danieltaylor said and he's got a point. Sometimes you need that punch of pure black to make a piece feel strong and not just realistic.
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