What approach should be taken to access the gallery of quick styles for a shape?

To access the gallery of quick styles for a shape in PowerPoint, selecting the drawing tools format tab and then navigating to the shape styles group is the required approach. This section of the ribbon specifically provides options to customize the appearance of shapes, including fills, outlines, and effects.

When you select a shape, the drawing tools format tab automatically appears, allowing you to see the shape styles group prominently. This group contains a variety of pre-defined styles that you can quickly apply to enhance the visual appeal of your shape. By clicking on this gallery, you can see all available styles and choose one that fits your design needs.

Other methods, such as attempting to access styles through the smart tools design tab or right-clicking the shape, do not directly lead to the quick styles gallery. The format painter is primarily used for copying formatting from one object to another, rather than providing direct access to shape styles. Thus, referring to the drawing tools format tab is the most effective means to access the gallery of quick styles for a shape.