Cross-hatch Shading

Explore the artwork of Rembrandt and observe the mastery of his cross-hatching technique. Add color to this technique in a drawing of your own!

• 1.

  Shading is an effective way to add elements of depth and realism to any drawing. Cross-hatching, or shading with lines, is a great technique to accomplish this while adding movement to a drawing. An artist that mastered this technique is Rembrandt van Rijn.

• 2.

  Study examples of Rembrandt’s famous etchings with your class. Take notice of his use of line for shading. How does he use the cross-hatching technique to darken certain areas of the drawing? How does the variety of values enhance the realism of the image?

• 3.

  On a sheet of white paper, practice creating different values with the cross-hatching technique using Crayola® Colored Pencils. To cross-hatch, fill an area with closely-spaced parallel lines. Cross over those marks with lines drawn in the opposite direction to darken the value. Experiment with different colors to find which are most effective.

• 4.

  Now create your own masterpiece using the cross-hatching technique, just as Rembrandt did! Use Rembrandt’s artwork for inspiration. He often illustrated important events, people, and even self-portraits. Select the subject for your drawing based on these themes.

• 5.

  On a fresh sheet of white paper, lightly sketch your drawing. Add layers of detail and depth to your drawing. Remember to use the cross-hatching technique! You may wish to use one color in your drawing, like Rembrandt did, or liven it up with a variety of

• 6.

  Frame your drawing by mounting it on a piece of dark-colored paper and share your masterpiece with the class!

Benefits

• Students observe the artwork of artist Rembrandt van Rijn and find examples of cross-hatching in his etchings.
• Students experiment with a shading technique known as cross-hatching.
• Students define cross-hatching.
• Students create an original work of art, utilizing the cross-hatching technique to add value and depth to their drawings.

Adaptations

• Create a crayon etching using the cross-hatching technique. Cover a blank sheet of paper with areas of heavy, colorful crayon. Add a thick layer of black crayon over the colors, covering them completely. Use a pointy tool, like a paperclip, to etch into t
• Experiment with combining colors of Colored Pencils to create new colors through cross-hatching! Will drawing some lines with a red Colored Pencil and crossing them with blue lines give the area a purple appearance? What other combinations can you create?
• Share your artwork with the class! Display each student’s drawing and discuss the use of cross-hatching in each. Is there a good balance of value in each drawing? Was cross-hatching overused or underused in some areas of the drawings?