Crosshatching conundrum

[LuckyDevil]

I cannot for the life off me shade using crosshatch, i just can't apply it properly. Most of the time i just end up smudging my attempted crosshatch because i didn't like the way it looked. I tried googling tutorials or info about it but i couldn't find anything too helpful all i get is the description but not how to apply it.

I understand the technique but i cant seem to grasp how to use it i guess. Would really like some help or direction on this topic.

[TASmith]

Here's my best guess, although I'm not good at it either. :(

Imagine a chainlink fence. When you look directly at it, you see perfectly diagonal squares. So, if you cross-hatch like this, your work will always look flat, like the fence.

Now, imagine wrapping that fencing around a form. What would it look like then? Imagine all those squares squishing into needle-thin spindles.

If that doesn't help, look up Sasha Gorec in the sketchbook section and drool, like I do. Oh, and Mentler! That guy cross-hatches like the hand of God.

[Stranded]

I think I'm doing it right. I first shade with lines in one way, then use other lines to cross them. Like this:
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y132/Zombiless/candlejill.png

[Vatsel]

One good tip that helped me is that lines should follow the form, also try to play with various densities and line weights.

If you can't do it at all then try applying it to basic objects like spheres and cubes first.

[LuckyDevil]

Ahh tas your awesome, i think your fence explanation clicked for me. will try it when i get home.

btw heres a sample of my sketch from my SB, not very noticeable though.

http://www.conceptart.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=769991&d=1252079019

stranded your lines seem flat to me sort of how i kept doing mine.

edit: changed image i think this one displays better how crappy my crosshatch is :P

[Anid Maro]

It's pretty much like TASmith said. Try to follow the form with your lines and wrap that chain link fence around the form. Also look up drawings and sketches from old printmakers, like Durer (http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&hs=oKD&q=durer&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=frWqStqgKJCusgP3_PmMBQ&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=1). Crosshatching was all they had to work with, they had to be excellent at it.

Though to be honest I never much cared for crosshatching myself, used to have the same problem as you and then by the time I figured out what I was doing wrong I had moved on to other techniques. But if I were to go back and try to learn proper crosshatching now, I'd study guys like Durer plus any other examples I could think of and then start off practicing my hatching on simple forms like boxes and spheres.

[Ilaekae]

Crosshatching is a remnant of the B&W world, and it isn't just for "shading" in the round. It was used as a gradation in illumination, toning, shaping, and literally just adding interest/weight where needed, and all of these often required different techniques and approaches.

Be careful when looking for reference on hatching, because many examples you'll find might be from the 19th Century wood engraving era, which are actually closer to scratch board than crosshatching (actually a reversal--white line out of black solids). Many illustrators from the civil war to about 1940 who specialized in editorial illustration for pop mags, pulps and newspapers as well as comic and manga artists whose art shies away from mechanical screens would also be good sources for examples to study. I'll try to get some samples together to post as soon as I have some time.

[Stranded]

Hmm. From you guys' post I'm assuming I'm doing it wrong. Good thing LuckyDevil made this thread then. :D

[LuckyDevil]

Dude you guys fucking rock. I thought about it the way tas described it helped out alot. Don't have a scanner at home so i will have to show you on monday xD

[OmenSpirits]

Look up cceasar's thread. He show's the proper way to hatch. http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=117915

Look at this thread, then his SB.

[RyerOrdStar]

Everyone knows how to crosshatch. It's just you need PRACTICE to get it to look good. It requires a very light touch, which requires training your hand and muscle memory to float on top of the paper and lift off smoothly at the end of the stroke.

[Chison]

Hmm. From you guys' post I'm assuming I'm doing it wrong. Good thing LuckyDevil made this thread then. :D
i don't use cross hatch much or at all.don't take me serious
but i think your crosshatch are very very extremely dense

[CCThrom]

I think part of your problem is you're trying to crosshatch on a drawing tablet (the sketch you posted certainly looks digital)... it is MUCH easier to crosshatch effectively when you can rotate the paper and/or change your arm angle easily.

[LuckyDevil]

Ok after TASmith posted his suggestion i drew this

http://www.conceptart.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=777830&d=1252938414

Don't know if you can see it that well but after looking at cceasar's tutorial i noticed i need much more practice thank you all i will continue to pursue this :yayca:

[Noah Bradley]

Look up Franklin Booth.

One of the most amazing pen and ink artists out there. Study his lines and be amazed.

[Hyskoa]

Buy these dvd's http://www.robertliberace.com/dvds.htm

[inkdrop]

Look up Franklin Booth.


Word.

Also google "Bernie 'Berni' Wrightson" and the master Frank Frazetta's Pen and Ink work.

[Bill]

It requires a very light touch, which requires training your hand and muscle memory to float on top of the paper and lift off smoothly at the end of the stroke.

I hatch so much I've been thinking about trying to tone it down, but I like the way you describe it.