Drawing Class: Steps for drawing on toned paper

​This was my Portrait Drawing Demonstration for the class "Drawing on Toned Paper" held at OA Gallery.  I was using black charcoal for the darker values and white charcoal for the highlights .

Learning to draw on toned paper using black and white charcoal, helps greatly in understanding value tones.

Here are some of the steps in drawing a portrait on toned paper.  The drawing is started lightly in the beginning. When the likeness of the eyes are getting closer then I'll start to establish more of the darks. Until then I keep the pencil marks light in case I need to erase. ​

Here the dark values are established in the drawing.  In a portrait the eyes will always have your darkest dark in the pupil of the eye and at the lashline. 

Using toned paper instead of white paper helps you to obtain your darkest darks and lightest lights while letting the paper be your midtone value.  

A white charcoal pencil is used to show the highlights.

This is the stage where values are checked and corrected. They help to show the three dimensional quality in the drawing.

The portrait demo is finished and ready to be put in a frame!

​The portrait is complete! It can be viewed at the Galleries at Heartland in Kirkwood, MO.

Working on toned paper is a beautiful and classical way to draw, which dates back to the Renaissance.

Look at these beautiful drawings!  Everyone did a fantastic job!  What a great class!

Would you like information about my art classes?  Check out my classes here on my website.

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