One of the fundamentals for achieving consistent shading is maintaining an even distance between each stroke. This factor alone can make one of the biggest differences in your final result. When strokes are placed inconsistently, with some too close together and others too far apart, the shading will appear uneven and patchy. This often forces you to go back, fix areas, and attempt to blend them in, and in some cases, proper blending may not be possible at all.

By keeping your strokes evenly spaced, you reduce the amount of time spent on corrections and achieve smoother, more consistent shading from the start. Here is a demonstration in diagram form so you can visualize what we are aiming for.