DrawingTonal pencil drawing

Whether drawing realistic or abstract subjects, an understanding of tone, the variations of light and shade, is important.

A variety of pencils are required to create a tonal study. The B range is soft and dark and more suitable than H pencils for shading and tonal drawings.

Study the different shades of light and dark in your subject. These tones are dependent on where the light source is. Work on your confidence when applying your tones. It is a common mistake to have little difference between the darkest and lightest areas of a drawing. This can make your results seem flat.

Objects are three dimensional, so the tone will change over the surface. Think about the direction and distance between your marks when shading. Diagonal shading or shading against the grain can flatten the appearance of a form.If shading using crosshatching, think about the closeness of the crossing lines - the closer the lines, the darker the shading.

Alternatively, try building tone using several layers of pencil, using softer pencils or working with charcoal.