Toned paper as a foundation for atmospheric drawings

It hasn’t been very long since I started using toned paper in my urban sketching. I must say, I regret not trying it sooner! It’s just incredible how toned paper can turn any drawing into something much more appealing. I also think it makes the process a little faster, since the middle value is already set — all you have to do is add the darks and the lights.

Well, of course, it’s not that simple 😆. You can easily spend a lot of time building up layer after layer of graphite (or another medium) without really getting anywhere. But once you add the white, the light pops and the full range of values is established. However — there’s always a however — if you bring in the white too soon, it will just get dirty.

As I developed some skills in creating atmospheric drawings with graphite, I thought it would be a good idea to bring this approach to the workshop as well, this time on toned paper. 

To introduce this stage of the workshop, I talked about how artists can develop a deeper level of sophistication by nurturing their sensibility. By “sophistication,” I don’t mean simply refining technique — it’s about adding layers of meaning to your work. To illustrate this, I brought up the American artist Andrew Wyeth, whose works expresses this very idea.