> [!email]+   > > > [!note] From > > [feedingwolves](https://turtle-brownie.tumblr.com/post/797908200436416512/im-on-mobile-so-im-having-a-bit-of-trouble) > > > [!note] To > > https://turtle-brownie.tumblr.com/ask > > > [!note|sep] Subject > > **How To Render Muscles** > >*Sent* _20/10/2025_ > > I’m on mobile so I’m having a bit of trouble navigating and finding the FAQ, so sorry if this has been asked a bunch before, but: the way you draw and render muscles is sooo satisfying + accurate and I was wondering if you had any resources you would be able to share that helped you with understanding musculature better? I’m at a bit of a plateau right now myself --- >[!hint|noicon]   > Hey omg tysm!!!! Absolutely no worries! > > I don't have anything for understanding/drawing musculature _specifically_, and a lot of what I had learnt was self-taught through studying references a lot. > > I find, though, tutorials on utilizing 'hard vs soft' edges in painting/rendering were rather helpful, and very relevant to rendering muscles since they require quite a lot of edge control. I found this was also the point in my art journey where I felt really stuck/felt like I was at a plateau myself, so when I finally got a grasp on hard/soft edges, I could almost feel myself 'level up' as an artist haha. > > There's probably a million different resources out there just about this, so I won't bore you with what would essentially be a drop in the ocean of how-tos, so this is a super quick run down of what I'm referencing. > >>[!quote]+ Glossary >>||| >>|-|-| >>|**Direct Light**|Light that comes directly from the light source. _Light always travels in a straight line._| >>|**Light Source**|A source of _direct light_; this can be the sun, a candle, a light bulb, etc.| >>|**Highlight**|Where the light is brightest on an object/where the _direct light_ from the _light source_ is hitting most directly.| >>|**Form Shadow**|The shadow that appears on the part of the object that is turned away from the direction of the _light source_.| >>|**Core Shadow**|The darkest part of the *form shadow* that is least affected by the _bounce light_.| >>|**Bounce Light**| The light cast onto an object from the surrounding objects, *not* by a direct light source.| >>|**Cast Shadow**|The shadow of an object that appears on the ground, or surroundings to the side of the object, that is hidden from the _light source_.| >>|**Terminator Line**|The transition zone/line between the areas of light and shadow. | >> >>>[!caption] **Brushes used:** *CSP Default G-Pen* (Colouring), *CSP Default Airbrush* (Rendering), *[[Paint's Brush (No Pen Pressure)]]* (Handwriting) >> ![[Hard vs Soft Edges - Guide to Shadows-1760942862659.webp]] > >## Step by Step > >>[!caption] **Brushes used:** *[[Paint's Brush (No Pen Pressure)]]* (Lineart), *CSP Default Airbrush* (Rendering) >>![[How To Render Muscles-1760938734319.webp]] > >>[!seealso]+ 1. Laying down base colours... >>... I pick mid-tone colours between what colours/shade I plan on the shadows and highlights to be . >> >>>**!** The painting/colours don't have to be in greyscale/black & white, my example is not in colour just to show off the contrast and shading better. > >>[!seealso]+ 2. Typically, this is how I see people start to shade (and how I used to shade). >>There is _nothing incorrect_ about this, in fact, the issue is that only **cast shadows** are being used. >> >>When you only do **cast shadows**, you might often find when you're shading some areas with less obvious or less-dark shading (with a blurrier **terminator line**), you don't really know how to 'fade' it out or blend it properly, and things might start to look a bit muddy and unsure. > >>[!seealso]+ 3. Start by shading in your **form shadows**. >>More simply, when you're shading, try _reversing_ where you put your shadows; instead of putting the shading beneath an object, try to put it on the underside of the object itself. >> >>This creates a **hard edge**, and the gradient that moved away and blends into the main colour from that edge is a **soft edge.** >> >>Notice in the example _(3)_ there are also **cast shadows**, but far fewer than in the previous example _(2)_, since now the **cast shadows** are a a lot more deliberate, and cast where there would be a noticeable blockage of light from the source. >> >>>**!** **Cast shadows** tend to be mostly _hard edges_, while **form shadows** are a mix of _hard and soft edges_. > >>[!seealso]+ 4. Add **highlights** to emphasis the _hard edges_ more. >>Make your shadows feel more like shadows, instead of just darker blots of colour on the object. >> >>I add highlights along the **terminator lines**, as well as anywhere that his being hit by the **direct light source** with an especially bright light. > >>[!seealso]+ 5. Add **Core shadows** to some spots of the shading. >>I typically add the darker shading on the **terminator line** directly opposite of the **highlighting**, as well as any areas that need to be especially dark. >> >>Here I would also add in the reflected **bounce light**, as well as any _sub-surface scattering_ if I'm using colour, but that's not overly important for this specific tutorial, so don't worry too much about it for now. > >--- >### Example 1 >>[!caption] **Brushes used:** *[[Paint's Brush (No Pen Pressure)]]* (Lineart), *CSP Default Airbrush* (Rendering) >>![[Hard vs Soft Edges - Guide to Shadows-1760942914037.webp]] > >--- > >### Example 2 >>[!caption] **Brushes used:** *[[RC Side Pencil]]* (Sketch), *[[Intoxicate Pencil Set]]* (Rendering) >![[How To Render Muscles-1760929991151.webp]] > >Here is a super quick example using the steps from before, but this time using _colour_. I've only focused on the face/cheek, and spent about maybe 5 minutes tops rendering this in. > >You can see on the cheek most prominently, how the _hard edge_ creates a **terminator line** just above the corner of the mouth. As the shadow travels up the cheek towards the outer eye, it diffuses and blends, creating a gradient that creates a _soft edge_. > >The _hard edge_ is then emphasised with a **highlight** that sits on the direct other side of the **terminator line**, indicating the source light now directly hitting the upper lip, but the underside of the cheek is getting _the least light_, so it s cast in a darker shadow before travelling up and becoming lighter, indicating _more and more light_ hitting the skin, up until the highlight which is getting the _most_ light. > >--- > >I hope that made sense!! There's a lot of different terms being thrown about and I could feel some parts feeling especially exhausting to type out and attempt to make coherent haha. Otherwise, like I've mentioned, there are a million sources online that are far better than what I can do, so at the very least you have a better understanding of what to google for more help if nothing else here helped! >[!todo|noicon] Have a question to ask? Check out the [[Contact Me]] page to see where you can ask :)