Tutored Life Drawing Blog Week 04: Tone (Patreon)

Tone refers to variations in light and dark - both observed in a subject, or in the marks of your drawing. When drawing tonally, we could be expressing a range of ideas.  We often think of tonal values, the light and dark we observe, but other possibilities for using tone include creating sculptural drawings with modelled tone, or using tone to force atmospheric perspective.

This week's lesson will to cover a few of these different uses of tone, and look at some of the different materials we can use to make tonal drawings. In upcoming lessons we will be expanding on these ideas with ink drawing techniques, and lessons on drawing tonal values.

Main image: 'Gracie'

Seeing Tonal Values

Tonal value describes how light or dark a subject or drawn mark is. Most of us see everything in colour, and we have to learn to translate this world of colour into a monochrome – single colour – image. 

On the right, the photograph has had all the colour removed from it, leaving only tonal values.

A tonal value is how dark or light a point we observe is, on a range that goes from pure black to pure white. Lit areas of the subject have lighter tones, whilst shadow areas have darker tones. Observed light and shadow is dependant on a light source – if  the light changes, the shadow shapes will alter as well.

All tonal values sit between black, a total absence of light, to white.

The eye is sensitive to small changes in tone in the area we are focusing on, which may exaggerate the difference between tones in our drawing. This is a common cause of 'mucky' looking skin tones. One trick for seeing tonal values is to blur our eyes by squinting, which flattens out these small variations. Another technique is to compare the area you are drawing with an area of different tonal value (such as comparing skin tones to hair in a portrait) periodically to 'reset' your perception of tonal value.

'Frankie' - Shadow and light shapes help show the changes in the surface undulations of the back, and the three dimensional forms of the figure.

Clear shadow and light areas can be created by simplifying tonal value into shapes. Controlling tonal values in this way is key to creating more realistic renderings. This will be covered in more depth in upcoming lessons.

Drawing with Tone

Tonal drawing is not just limited to tonal values. Other properties can be described in tonal marks to produce engaging result.  Here are a couple of examples:

Modelled tone is used to create a sculptural interpretation of a subject, emphasising three dimensional forms instead of observed light and shadow. As forms recede or 'turn away' from the viewer, they become darker. These dark tones are not affected by how light is falling on the subject. Instead, they are there to record the tactile sense of volume and surface direction.

'Charlie' This modelled tone drawing was created with graphite sticks.

The tonal effects of atmospheric perspective can be borrowed from landscape drawing and applied to the figure, where distance can affect tonal values. Across many miles, distant subjects appear greyer and less tonally distant, making them hazier, with less contrast. Usually this is only noticeable over large distances but we can borrow the effect to create depth in our figure drawings, applying it artificially to the figure. Drawings have the freedom to portray a subject in many different ways; each drawing needn't be a photographic reproduction. 

'Bruno' Here the more distant arm is rendered with vague outlines and form. Atmosphere is also utilised where body parts overlap, to further indicate one form passing in front of another.

Expressing Tone in Different Media

Almost any media can be used to convey tone by some means. This could be directly,  like laying down dilute ink in tonal washes, building up using layers of tone, or by creating a pattern of marks, such as hatching (covered next week). 

An ink wash, can be used to draw tonal shapes directly, with extra layers added when dry. With ink, it is possible to dilute multiple tonal values from black to a light grey (with white being the paper) before drawing. 

'Laura' - An ink wash adds tone to a line drawing.

Dry media such as graphite, chalk or charcoal build up on the page as they are applied with more pressure or layers. Softer materials are malleable and readily blend and. charcoal is particularly good for creating dark tones.

'Elle' This drawing was created with willow charcoal, and charcoal pencil worked on top.

Hatching is a means of portraying tone by drawing an area of repeating marks. This can be done with lots of different media, including pen, pencil and charcoal. Different tones can be described by increasing the density of these marks, or layering them. 

Here hatched lines are used to indicate both tonal values and the surface forms of the figure.

In reality, tonal values encompass a wider range than what can be drawn. Paper is not perfectly white – compare it to a light source and it will appear quite grey. All materials are limited in how deep a black they can make as well, especially something more subtle, like pencil. It helps to consider this when starting a drawing.

These value scales show the difference between a pencil, stick of willow charcoal and a charcoal pencil. 

Tonal drawings are monochrome, which not only includes greyscale drawing, but also drawings that use only a single colour, with its own tonal range to white. 

This quick ink and wash sketch was done in reddish-brown ink, but is still monochrome, as it only uses dilute – lighter – versions of the same colour.

Different Uses of Tone

This wash drawing relies on the logic of tonal values. The light and dark patterns are created by a light source in the middle of the composition. However, they are clearly invented to fit this complex imaginary scene. Tonal values can help create convincing imagery, but also can be manipulated for aesthetic purposes.

Joachim von Sandrart – 'Pygmalion' (Source: The New York MET)

Modelled tone gives this drawing a sculptural look by portraying how surface turns away from the viewer. As these rounded forms get darker when they turn away, they produce a contour line that contains the shape of the figure.

Michaelangelo – 'The Risen Christ' (Source: Art Institute Chicago)

The above drawing is a dramatic example of tone being used to indicate atmosphere. The sense of foreshortening of the upper body is emphasised by the very hazy application of red pencil – the direction of the head and its features are barely visible. The arms become loosely defined where they are overlapped by the lines of the rest of the body.

Recumbent Nude (Unknown artist from Emilia, Italy) (Source: The New York MET)

Key Points to remember about Tone:

• Tonal drawings are rendered using areas of light and dark.
• Observed tonal values are the light and dark tones we see in our subject.
• Modelled tone supports the sculptural properties of a subject.
• Atmospheric tone uses to tone indicate proximity and separation of forms in a subject.

Over to You –  Different Applications of Tone 

Recommended Materials: Some kind of stick made of graphite, conté or charcoal. Pencils or charcoal – ink, red conté or pens are also good.

Exercise 1 – Fast Modelled Tone

In this exercise,  try drawing figures in fast studies with modelled tone. Each study should be 3-10 minutes. Surfaces become darker as they turn away from you, regardless of whether they are in light or shadow. This trains sculptural thinking, which helps combat 'flatness' in drawing. 

These studies were done quickly in graphite stick. Alternatively hatching, or scribbled marks can build up modelled tone.

Exercise 2 – Still Life Tonal Value Study

Still life subjects are a good place to begin with tonal drawing, especially simple everyday objects.  You may want to practise tonal values, modelled tone or atmospheric tone this way. It is a good idea to set up your subject near a window, or a lamp to ensure light is coming from a consistent direction – this is especially important for tonal value drawing, but helps reveal form for other approaches.

Charcoal still life study of a potted succulent. 

Exercise 3 – Longer Tonal Study

For this exercise, work with of the above approaches – one option is to repeat the same drawing using of tone for value, modelling or atmosphere. Select a good quality reference. If possible, work on paper larger than you would normally would – A3 or bigger. Try to invest a decent amount of time into this drawing, multiple hours if possible. Longer efforts help develop the ability to find nuance in our subject. 

This tonal study was done over several hours, in charcoal on newsprint paper.

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>> Watch the Week 04: Tone main lesson HERE (Student & Life Tiers)  
>> Watch the Week 04: Tone demo video HERE (Student & Life Tiers)   
>> Read the Week 04: Tone Inspiration blog post HERE (All Tiers)  

Find links to the whole Tutored Life Drawing Course HERE

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