Dynamic Light and Shade

Become an expert in harnessing light and shade in your artwork with this comprehensive guide from the acclaimed cartoonist hailed as the “Michelangelo of the comic strip.”

Mastery of light and shade—rendered with accuracy and expressive power—is the key to three-dimensional form in drawing and painting. In Dynamic Light and Shade, Burne Hogarth begins with the simplest light and shade, showing how a dark silhouette on white paper can communicate form and space. He then shows how the silhouette is transformed into three dimensions with the addition of minimal light—the highlight.

Hogarth covers the five basic categories of light and shade—single-source light, double-source light, diffused light, moonlight, and sculptural light—and illustrates the effects of these different kinds of light on a variety of subjects, examining both natural and artificial light sources. He then moves on to more complex lighting, explaining how to capture the effects of weather, time of day, and materials like glass and water. Hogarth illustrates every effect of light and shade with brilliant drawings in pencil, charcoal, carbon, pen and ink, and brush and ink, encouraging the reader to experiment with diverse drawing media.

Burne Hogarth’s unique teaching methods in Dynamic Light and Shade, part of his comprehensive Dynamic Drawing Series, are indispensable for every professional artist, art student, teacher, painter, sculptor, illustrator, cartoonist, animator, and serious amateur.

Burne Hogarth’s masterful Dynamic Drawing Series is an invaluable resource for any artist:
DRAWING DYNAMIC HANDS • DRAWING THE HUMAN HEAD • DYNAMIC ANATOMY • DYNAMIC FIGURE DRAWING • DYNAMIC LIGHT AND SHADE • DYNAMIC WRINKLES AND DRAPERY

Burne Hogarth (1911–1996), hailed as the “Michelangelo of the comic strip,” was one of the most iconic cartoonists and influential arts educators of the twentieth century. Best known for his innovative illustrations of the syndicated Sunday Tarzan, Hogarth broke fresh ground in the newspaper comic strip by combining classicism, expressionism, and narrative in a powerful, new way. As cofounder of the School of Visual Arts—one of the world’s leading art schools—he brought his unique approach to art into the classroom. Hogarth’s art has been exhibited in many important galleries around the world including the Louvre in the Museé des Arts Décoratifs and Marseilles’ Bibliothèque. He traveled the world throughout his life receiving numerous international awards and accolades.