hatching

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 1, 2024 is: hatching \HATCH-ing\ noun Hatching refers to the drawing or engraving of lines close together as a method of shading, or to a pattern so created. // The artist uses hatching to breathe life into her comics. // The hatching adds depth to the illustration. [See the entry >](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hatching) Examples: "During the second half of the 19th century, drawing achieved a higher status. No longer merely a preparatory tool, nor merely just a method for training of the eye, it gained a new autonomy.... [Pastel](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pastel) became popular at this time partly because it was easily portable and versatile, capable of supporting lively hatching as well as silky smoothness." — Frances Spalding, Apollo, 12 Feb. 2024 Did you know? Hatching refers to the drawing or engraving of lines close together as a method of shading. The closer the lines, the darker the impression that is created. When the lines are drawn at an angle so as to intersect one another, that is called [cross-hatching](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crosshatch). One notable artist who drew on this technique is [John Tenniel](https://www.britannica.com/biography/John-Tenniel), the illustrator of Lewis Carroll's 1865 novel [Alice's Adventures in Wonderland](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Alices-Adventures-in-Wonderland). Another is [Albrecht Dürer](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Albrecht-Durer-German-artist/Service-to-Maximilian-I), whose sketches have been celebrated for their adept use of cross-hatching to indicate [foreshortening](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/foreshorten) (an appearance of something, such as a subject's nose, as shortened due to its being pointed toward the viewer). The word hatching is a [gerund](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gerund) of the verb hatch, which in turn comes from the Middle French hacher, meaning "to chop, slice up, or incise with fine lines." If hatching isn’t your preferred style of shading, you might also consider [stippling](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stipple) or [blending](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/blend).