Shading is an optional feature you can add to your drawn submissions, however we still need to see visibly darker areas of shadow to pass the shading tick on criteria forms. This visual guide shows a rough basis for what we look for in shaded pieces to allow the criterion to be rewarded. This is style dependant, so as long as darker areas of shadow are clearly visble, you should be fine to claim your piece as shaded when submitting.
NOTES:
- Airbrushed or soft-blended pieces may require the shading layer to have more opacity than a piece with sharp shading might. This is due to soft shading making the shadows seem more transparent than they actually are, and may make softer shadows harder to see.
- Shading in criteria only applies to characters featured in the piece and NOT to backgrounds; any shadows included in a background will be classified as part of the background, and not a separated form of shading.
TIPS:
- If you can't tell if your shadows are dark enough, zoom out really far in your piece. If you can still see the shadows clearly without squinting, then it should be fine.
- If you are using a program that does not have layers, OR you are drawing in traditional mediums, try looking at your piece from different angles, zooming out (or standing further away), or looking at it flipped in the other direction (with a program function or mirror) can also help you determine if shadows are visible enough in a scenario where layers are not an option.
- Having a peer review your piece (whether it's online or in real-life) can help you see from another pair of eyes if your shadows are visible enough. When you are working on your own piece for long periods of time, you may see things that others cannot easily see. Having a second set of eyes can help you see these things that are visible to you, but not others.
- Using colors besides black for shadows OR using layer effects (such as overlay or multiply) can create some really cool effects, especially for more colorful characters!
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Submitted: 1 week ago ・
Last Updated: 1 week ago