Shading black surfaces challenges even skilled illustrators. Covering the figure in uniform charcoal creates an unreadable flat silhouette. Authentic obsidian armor shading requires treating the polished armor, the quilted leather tunic, and the heavy wool cape as three completely distinct light-reactive surfaces.
For the helmet dome and chest shoulder armor, work like you are shading chrome or polished obsidian. Keep mid-tones minimal. Push the values directly from pure black shadows to razor-sharp white specular lines that follow the curves of the cranial dome and cheekbones. The sharp highlights on the helmet brow sell the illusion of cast acrylic and polished fiberglass.
For the inner tunic and pants, shift your technique. Draw tightly packed diagonal hatch marks to mimic the heavy vertical ribs of the leather flight suit. The shadows here should be soft and stepped down, giving the garment a dense, flexible look.
Finally, tackle the flowing cape drapery. The cape should not cling to the body like spandex. It hangs from anchor points beneath the shoulder armor and falls in heavy, tubular column folds. Draw the cape hem long enough to brush the ground plane, pooling slightly around the shins. Use broad, sweeping charcoal or graphite strokes to establish deep cast shadows inside the drapery folds, while leaving the exterior surface rendered in medium matte tones to suggest heavy, unpolished wool.
