Shipbucket

Sweet Radome!
I'm a big fan of proper (graded) shading. From an SB perspective I wonder:

If a subsection of the STANDARDS can be created to allow/govern this artistic element.

Technical questions on your shading settings:
1) Software Package used?
2) How many color steps are you set for?

For my "SB Style" drawings I set mine for 64 steps. For non-SB stuff I'm generally around 128 +/- steps but can go a lot higher for really smooth transitions but that's a wast in pixel art. I use Corel Graphics Suite for all my basic drawing set ups.

Drawing Technique Observation:

Would you consider using less dark fills?? Try using less "black" blacks on fill so panel lines show up. Try using a very dark gray for your deepest color (20-30% less deep).

CraigH

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In active progress
More Ships with Sails
Early Torpedo Boats in SB and FD Scales
Some railroad stuff
More random stuff that strikes me!

I Use MS Paint only, I try to make the drawing as FD standard as possible but its so hard to make a proper shade on a sub this way.
I used 8 steps. all drawn by hand.
I'll look into that on my next drawing. but as i said before i try to make it FD-Standard as possible and follow FD rules.

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I suggest you guys if you want to toy with the gradient shading,to do two versions, one proper SB/FD one with normal shaing practices, and then one with what ever you want to do with gradients and other.

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Shipbucket mainsite, aka "The Archive"
New AU project "Aravala"

Impressive!
But yeah, such sophistication of shading is something of an issue.

@ Golly:
Your suggestion is highly reasonable. Would a subset standard for FD Scale shading be worth considering... Especially if it is reproducible?
@Eswube:
Having drawn this way for years, maybe more time consuming rather than sophisticated...especially in a program like Paint.
@ Radome:
I like the idea of 8 steps. A great compromise! Less manually time killing than 12, 64, or even 128 color steps!!! 64 gets pretty smooth in something like Paint but absolutely is unmanageable doing it manually. 12 would even be fairly brutal.

I'll test 8 steps out myself on the F Class when I start it shortly. The E Class is too far along to start shading exercises beyond what I've been doing in the Pre-WW1 American Sub series. What I've been doing isn't smooth enough to illustrate the hull shape as it looks hexagonal to my eye rather than a smooth teardrop.

CraigH

_________________
In active progress
More Ships with Sails
Early Torpedo Boats in SB and FD Scales
Some railroad stuff
More random stuff that strikes me!

USA, E-Class (1911-1921)

USA, E-1 (SS-24) USS Skipjack (ca. 1919)

The E-Class represented the first USN boats with diesel rather than petrol engines...a huge safety development. This was the first USN class built with forward dive planes which provided a significant control advantage. The USS Grayling in the prior D Class was the test bed.
CraigH

_________________
In active progress
More Ships with Sails
Early Torpedo Boats in SB and FD Scales
Some railroad stuff
More random stuff that strikes me!

Fantastic work!

Very nice!

Top notch!

Another superb submarine.

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Hood's Worklist
English Electric Canberra FD
Interwar RN Capital Ships
Super-Darings
Never-Were British Aircraft