jats:titleAbstract</jats:title>jats:pA challenge in vector graphics is to define primitives that offer flexible manipulation of colour gradients. We propose a new primitive, called a shading curve, that supports explicit and local gradient control. This is achieved by associating shading profiles to each side of the curve. These shading profiles, which can be manually manipulated, represent the colour gradient out from their associated curves. Such explicit and local gradient control is challenging to achieve via the diffusion curve process, introduced in 2008, because it offers only implicit control of the colour gradient. We resolve this problem by using subdivision surfaces that are constructed from shading curves and their shading profiles.</jats:p>