Monday, March 23, 2026

Trying Tonal Drawings

Last week in my Figure Drawing class, we studied how value creates depth in a drawing.  We saw how using just 4 values in your drawing, you can create a sense of dimension. 

Start with a quick line drawing, marking in areas of shadow.  
Choose 4 values: 
darkest darks, 
lighter shadows, 
mid-tones and 
highlights.  

Lay in the tones, using a light hand on the highlights -- they're easy to overdo.  Step back often to see the larger effect of your shadows. Finish by blending the tones and adding finishing touches.

You can see the 4 tones I used in the top left corner of the drawing below.  I used vine charcoal and white NuPastel on toned paper.

As much as I love line, I love the depth that values create.  

I hope you give this process a try! 

Happy Creating! 

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