Pencil Drawing For the Still Life: Tonal

Tonal drawing- A realistic drawing achieved by using dark to light values, without “lines” around the objects. A 'painting,' in shades of graphite.

Supplies: Paper, selection of graphite pencils, kneaded eraser, lamp or flashlight for highlights.

Observe shapes of the objects to be drawn. With a relaxed grip on an HB pencil, begin sketching lightly. When pleased with the overall pencil sketch, rise and stroll to a window. Open just enough for the brisk fall air (or the spring sounds of birds) to waft in. Ahhhh.
 
Now back to the task at hand. A convincing tonal drawing. Focus carefully on the still life arrangement before you. Tune out color and try seeing everything reduced down to greys. Tonals. Try squinting. Compare the lightest images you see, to the deepest darks.
 
Begin shading in the objects in your drawing with your selection of B series pencils. 2B, 4B. Sketch lightly, working the entire page, concentrating on no, one area. Switch back and forth from shading in the light grays and middle grays, but avoid any pencil shading on the areas that will remain light/white.
 
Work up to the darks, using 6B, 8B pencils, and then go back into the whites (the paper) and add the palest of gray coverage, using light, masterful strokes of a harder lead pencil. (Mark-making is achieved with small oval or sideways marks on the paper. A light, back and forth movement at the wrist). Continue careful shading right up to the edge of adjoining light areas… blurring out the “lines” in your original line drawing. Randomly vary the stopping/starting point of your marks to avoid amateur-like directional shading.
 
Pause for self critique.
 
Now, with a slightly harder H pencil work over the initial tones done with the softer pencils. This ‘tip’ helps to even out tone and fills in the tooth of the paper. Thus reducing the contrast in texture between the various grades of pencil.
 
Avoid the temptation to use a finger to smooth out blending. Sure, it is more difficult to get tone solely by pencil pressure on paper, but this is the way to master the medium. Soften highlights with your kneaded eraser by gently lifting out some of the graphite. Love it? Indeed! Now, obscure any remaining lines defining the object.
 
Lift tonal drawing up for self critique. The brightest highlights should be the "white" of your paper but you can go in with a soft waxed based white pencil and add small white areas into the white paper to make the drawing shimmer. A black, wax-based, color pencil is blacker then your darkest graphite pencil. Use it (sparingly) to add depth to the darkest edge of your object.
 
The astounding realism that you admire in others work is merely a matter of time spent on the drawing and practice . Time spent in close observation. The more time spent in close observation and careful drawing, the more convincing the result.

-Cynthia Padilla