How to Cross Hatch - The Best Cross Hatching Tip

Gosh... my architecture professor failed to explain cross hatching to the students. 😒

This was great advice! I’ve worked doing a lot of freelancing for different clients and am now on my third, full-time job as a story art.

I’ve struggled with how the company operates. Leadership doesn’t have experience making animated story content and we often times get no direction or very vague thoughts and ideas based off of whatever random movie they happened to watch with their kids. This leads to a lot of frustration and animosity in the company (which is really unfortunate).

On our end (as the artists) we try to create the best products we can, creating epic scenes and stories. And the whole time we’re guessing and hoping we’re going in the right direction based on who the leaders are as people. I’ll send updates to the team and give them updates as much as possible. But all I get in return is “that’s really good” and that’s it. Then when it comes time to do production, WE in pre-production get blamed if the studio THEY hired doesn’t have experience with character animation or cinematography.

It’s a good reminder to think about the needs of production. Here’s another piece of advice that may feel stressful, but is so important to understand: Make sure to cover your ass at all times. If leadership is asking something of you, and you know it’ll cause severe problems later on, very very kindly and casually bring up what could happen down the pipeline. And then when is does ultimately happen exactly how you said it would and they try to put the blame on your storyboards/blocking. Be open and receptive. Remember that this a team effort. But, also give a very respectful reminder that you discussed some issues we’d run into early on and you were “following direction to the best of your ability.” This way, it’s on leadership for making those decisions, not you!

BUT! Make sure you’re not always on the defensive. It makes things stressful for clients and they may find you difficult to work with. Even if you heavily disagree with the direction it’s going and see some massive problems that could be handled in pre-production. Try not to create an environment where you are constantly on the defense and are constantly making excuses. It doesn’t look good.

Company’s that are experienced are more likely to foster better creative environments (not always, but more likely). But, when you work for a company with hire ups that are inexperienced, it’s best to keep your head down, give updates frequently, ask questions, and be the best possible worker that they need.

Great video!

Se ve tan fácil 😣, felicidades maestro!

Thanks so much. Great demonstration.

Your paintings and artwork empathize, it is a story to share.

So helpful, Thank you, now I know how to do it properly

Great tutorial. Thanks

This is brilliant! Im really appreciative of your videos and look forward to learnijg as much as i can 😊

Great tip, thanks!

both suck. i should do a comma-like shonky thingy for a second and quick draw your pen onto the direction of the light and/or shape ideally.
that way it looks more clean and you can shoot a few rabbits with 1 stone - capture line direction, adds depth and you might if done correctly do your core-shadow like that.

Nice video, good tips. I noticed that here you wear both a hatched and a cross-hatched shirt.

You are an incredible teacher! I'Ve watched a few of your videos on drawing and you explain the concepts and ideas you'Re trying to convey incredibly well!!

Thank you so much for this demonstration! I still have a lot to learn and this helped tremendously. Great tips!

This only emphasizes the idea that crosshatching is witchcraft for me I feel like I need to go back to using crayons

Is this not just coloring in?

Sorry master , maybe someone just asked . But , which pen do you use ?

for me i know pretty much by intuition that you should almost always hatch along the surface of the form, it's how all the artists I like hatch in most of their work, so I'm surprised a lot of ppl don't know that. It probably has to do with the fact that people learn about hatching and cross-hatching way before they learn about form.

I believe I've really learned something from this video because in the past I had built a habit of doing any and all my hatching always following a consistent single direction. The problem being: often times this did not look good.
This had likely been something I did because I had seen other artists do something of the like, and appreciated the aesthetic, but I now realize, that these artists weren't hatching in one direction for the mere sake of it—but because they were using it to represent an overarching cast shadow that I had simply failed to consider. (^ ^;)ゞ

Hatching works best when its existence - compliments - the linework and form of the subject; single direction-lines can be used to illustrate the shadow being cast from a separate subject, and together can be used to communicate a scene with an incredibly distinct sketching style. —That, is what I (finally) learned watching this video, and for that, I must thank you. ( ´◡‿◡`)✧

Does it make sense to cross hatch following the direction of light?

But why not add the oclusion shadows in the first drawing? To me the first one looks more visually pleasing.

Excellent explanations 😊

ive watched a few of your videos and i still dont get how you get the moulding detail so accurate!

you are a really great teacher! i am happy i came across your channel.

Sir, WHY are you worried about crosshatching when YOU CAN'T EVEN DRAW YOUR BUILDING CORRECTLY, ARCHITECTURALLY speaking??? Don't you think you should get the basics down, BEFORE you worry about the shading? Let me rephrase that. YOU NEED TO GET THE BASICS DOWN, I.E., ACTUALLY DRAW THE BUILDING CORRECTLY, BEFORE YOU WORRY ABOUT SHADING, HATCHING, AND/OR CROSSHATCHING. I would, certainly, NEVER take seriously ANYTHING said to me, about something that comes second in a drawing, by one who claims to be a teacher, yet cannot even accomplish, accurately, and correctly, that which comes first.
I'm not trying to be cruel; but, seriously, hun, your "eye" HAS GOT to be better than this. 🤷‍♀️

what kind of ballpen did you used?

You explain things so crisply. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!

Thank u, so it looks much more natural when you follow the shape of the subject

Thank you. I like your analytical way of thinking. It is said value does all the work and color gets all the credit. It is thru value differences we create the illusion of form. By having only two tools - white paper and a line you make the magic happen- well done. I do want more of your secrets of creating the illusion of art.

Your ability to teach others to think in different ways is a great asset, to both yourself and everyone who listens. Thanks Stephen. I checked your website. Your paintings are so very accomplished. (That may sound glib coming from a casual viewer, but I'm a framer with over forty years experience - one of not too many in this country these days. I've worked closely with many famous Australian artists and galleries over the years, so I do know something about art. Yours is top level. Beautiful, evocative work.)

amazing tutorial, very informative

I can't wait to try this! You are very generous. Thanks for sharing your knowledge!! I have a question: do you have a video explaining how to measure the reference using your pen? That trick seems so nice!

Night, Stephen! Great video as usual 😍
One question: Someone that doesn't have any knowlege about colors or light and shadow is capable to crosshatching? Or we need to study deep in the concept of light and shadow before start crosshatching?

Your work is so inspiring

Sometimes teaching becomes; 'how to do it like I do,' so the creativity around the problem is missed.

Thank you for this awesome technique!

i never saw anyone who is a legit artist or even a hobbyartist who was doing linework as crappy as you did in the first sketch. No one does this.

next time put the therapeutic sound of the pen on the paper (even on rapid mode).

I saw that you respond to pretty much all of your comments and thought that was super cool. Subscribed

thank you ❤

this uncle draws so well! you are very well trained in architecture.

Outstanding!

Thank you so much!! Really great video

Actually the columns are not perfectly parallel

But it looks so dirty and wonky though...

Id somehow got the impression that hatches has to be short. Useful to see the long lines youre using

Thank you so much for all of these amazing tutorials. Your channel is by far the only one I've come by that's actually helpful. Absolutely saved my art🙏😭