Frog in Focus: Shading with Value
Draw the outline of a frog image using a simple image transfer method, then bring it to life with graphite pencil shading. By layering light, medium, and dark values, we’ll give the frog shape and form, making it look realistic.
Here’s what you’ll learn
DIY Image Transfer Method
A simple way to transfer an image without using graphite or carbon paper.
Using Value to Create Form
Shading light, medium, and dark values by working with pencils of different softness levels.
Blending Techniques
Blending the pencil marks and smoothing the edges with a blending stump (also known as a Tortillion).
Meet Rick
Rick Wilson is a graphite pencil artist recognized for his lifelike realism. He enjoys portraying the expressions of people, the beauty of animals, and nostalgic scenes from days gone by.
Rick spent 45 years as an aerospace engineer, contributing to projects like the Space Shuttle main engine and earning an MBA along the way. Yet pencil drawing has always been a constant.
In retirement, Rick has focused on graphite work, bringing the same precision and spatial awareness from his technical career into his art. His drawings balance meticulous detail with creative freedom, and he continues to grow through study and practice. Rick shares his life and love of art with his wife, Gina, their four children, and nine grandchildren.
Discover Rick’s original drawings and reproductions at wilsonfineartstudio.com.