Drawing Technique - Cross Hatching

Hatching is a blending technique sketch artists use when shading. There are many interesting variations of this method. This is a simple criss cross suggestion.

Drawing teachers often tease out the Elements of Design and teach about them seperately. It is easier for the students if the Art teacher also demonstarates types of hatching giving each one focused attention. It can be useful to single out this element of sketching and allow the students to practice a variety of ways of applying it alone. This will avoid over complication.

On the website Drawing Techniques JR Dunster describes hatching as .. "when an artist uses the pencil to render in a back and forward movement."

Cross hatching is when this process has been set at cross purposes. There are examples on this webpage.

When you set the students to explore these techniques;

• make sure that you get them to do hatching for an entire drawing first.
• after they have focused on this technique alone, encourage them to capture the same subject matter using cross hatching. Not only is this good self discipline but it will cause them to experience both to the full. (To completion.)
• remembering that one of our roles as an Art teacher is to help the student gain an understanding of perseverance and to develop tenacity. To do this, help them find ways to stay with the project until they have come to full resolution.

I suggest that you

• have them draw their first forms very simply in each style.
• after they have experienced both ways of hatching introduce the idea of crosshatching in a combination of colours. Use a different coloured pencil for each direction of the hatching. Beautiful combinations can be created this way and the students understanding of colour theory is enhanced.
• gradually introduce new styles, ideas for creativity and techniques to their experience of rendering and sketching as you go a long. This will ensure that the students are developing a wide repertoire of techniques.

Because they have experienced each method or technique in isolation, they fully understand the power and efficacy of each one alone. As time goes by and the students have experience of all kinds of combinations they will be empowered by the thorough understanding of the basics of drawing.

You might also want to read this blog Shading: One Element of Sketching