Shading Tickets

'Now add shading' might seem a simple & logical development step, but its essential to be explicit in how we guide students to achieve tonal variation and precision.

This acronym - S.H.A.D.E - aims to help bridge that gap to our younger students (Year7-8).

I have found success in not treating these concepts as learning points, but as achievements/ trophies that can be collected.
Setting an independent experimental task where shading is at the centre & rewarding students who have demonstrated these qualities with a ticket, transforms the learning material into a reward.
Conversely, these can also be a helpful guide for students who struggle to achieve tonal control.
These tickets become a vehicle for both support and reward when used in tangent with a generic shading activity.