Secrets of Shading by Proko

Proko Secrets of Shading is a short, self-paced online course by designer and illustrator Steven Zapata that explains how light behaves on form and how to shade convincingly, including from imagination. It starts with a simple sphere, works up to complex organic shapes, and finishes with long demonstrations of arms, tentacles and a full figure. There are 10 lessons, close to five hours of narrated video in total. One lesson is free, and the full course costs $25 as a one-time purchase.

At $25, it is one of the least expensive paid courses on Proko, and one of the most focused. Rather than covering value in general, it concentrates on the idea of form compression and on shading things you invent, which many artists find hardest.

What You Will Learn

Based on the official lesson list, the course covers:

• Light on a basic sphere, and an introduction to compression
• The difference between point and soft light sources
• Light on elliptical and lozenge-shaped forms
• Light on complex organic shapes
• Shading from imagination, without reference
• Applying these ideas to arms, tentacles and a full figure
• A bonus process from sketch to finished artwork

Who Is Proko Secrets of Shading For?

Proko lists it as suitable for all skill levels. It suits illustrators, concept artists and comic artists who can construct a form but struggle to make it look solid when shading, as well as anyone who wants to light creatures and characters they invent.

It is not a course on colour, materials or painting technique; the demonstrations are about value and form in graphite. If you need a broader introduction to value and edges, Drawing Basics covers those alongside line and perspective.

Course Structure

The course is a single sequence of ten lessons:

• Materials (about 2 minutes)
• Part 1: Light on a Basic Sphere and Intro to Compression (about 34 minutes)
• Part 2: Point and Soft Light Sources (13 minutes)
• Part 3: Light on Elliptical and Lozenge Shapes (24 minutes)
• Part 4: Light on Complex Organic Shapes (39 minutes)
• Part 5: Shading from Imagination (25 minutes, free)
• Part 6: Tentacle Demo (45 minutes)
• Part 7: Two Arm Demos (one hour)
• Part 8: Full Figure Demo (32 minutes)
• Part 9: Bonus World Tree Process (16 minutes)

The first half explains the theory; the second half shows it in long, narrated demonstrations.

Price and Access

The full course costs $25 as a single payment, with no subscription. Split payments are offered at checkout, and adding more Proko courses to the cart gives a bundle discount of up to 15%.

Part 5, on shading from imagination, is free, which is a good test of whether Zapata's approach suits you. Buyers can download the lessons as MP4 files in 1080p. Refund requests go to Proko support within 30 days and may be reviewed if more than a quarter of the content has been downloaded.

About the Instructor

Steven Zapata is a designer, illustrator and instructor. On Proko he teaches through long, fully narrated demonstrations, talking through each decision as he shades, which makes this course feel close to watching over his shoulder.

Things to Consider

• Time: Under five hours of video. You can watch it in a weekend, but the exercises are worth repeating over weeks.
• Materials: The demonstrations use pencil and graphite. The opening lesson gives an overview of materials.
• No assignments or critiques: The page does not list assignments or feedback, so plan your own practice from the demos.
• Prerequisites: Basic form drawing helps. If spheres, cylinders and boxes are new to you, start with Drawing Basics.
• Good value: It works well as a low-cost add-on to a larger figure or anatomy course, such as Figure Drawing Fundamentals.

Start the Course

Interested in learning with Proko?

Start Secrets of Shading

For the full syllabus and pricing, visit the official Proko website.

Looking for more ways to learn? Browse all courses and learning resources on Good Stuff Weekly.

Last verified: October 16, 2026