HOW TO MAKE A TONAL SCALE: Take a pencil and a sheet of white paper (preferably a softish grade 2B or 3B pencil, and good quality cartridge paper - but any pencil and paper will do for the moment - don't put it off until you can get to the art shop - start now!) Hold your pencil as loosely as you can and, starting a little way in - an inch (3cms) or so - from the left-hand edge, make a small patch on the paper, as lightly and softly as possible - just let the pencil use its own weight.
The patch can be as big or small as you like, but something about an inch (2 or 3cms) across is ideal.
Make another patch next to the first - but this time use just a little more pressure, to make a very slightly darker patch.
Continue making these patches, in a row, each one slightly darker than the last, until you find you can't make one any darker - you can go back over it if necessary.
You'll need to press harder with the pencil, and probably find yourself holding it differently for each patch - eventually you'll find you can't press any harder and you'll have a patch on the end of the row as dark as it will go.
Now stop! Look at what you have - a row of patches, each one darker than the last.
How many have you got? Probably 8 or 10.
Now number them, making the first, lightest patch No.
2 (yes 2 - you'll see why in a minute) and the last, darkest patch, whatever number it ends up with - probably 8 or 10 (maybe 9, it doesn't matter as long as you've got a row from lightest to darkest.
) Go back to the beginning of the row, and draw just a circle, or a square, so you've got a patch of pure white paper inside it.
That's why you started a little way in! This is your tone Number 1.
Congratulations! You've made a Tonal Scale! So what has this to do with your drawing? Take some drawings you've done, and compare them to the scale.
IMPORTANT - use YOUR scale, not mine! Try to see where the tones in your drawing match the tones on the scale.
If you think your drawing lacks something, probably only tones you can match are in the middle range, say 4 to 7, and none will match the very darkest tones.
So what does this tell you? To give your drawing dynamism, you must be able to see the darker tones.
Whether it's 8, 9 or 10 on your tonal scale, it needs to have, somewhere, the darkest, strongest tone you can make.
It often only needs to be a small area that has this darkest tone - obvious places are underneath objects where the light can't reach - but it makes all the difference to the result.
Equally important is Tone Number 1, pure white - this, and the darkest tone, give you the complete TONAL RANGE to use in your drawings.
You may have noticed I haven't given Tone No.
1, the lightest, as much emphasis as I have the darkest tone.
It's equally important, but for some reason it doesn't give beginners nearly as much anxiety as including the darkest tones! IMPORTANT - You don't need ALL these tones, 1 to 10, in a drawing - but you DO need the lightest, No.
1, the darkest, No 10 (or whatever it is on your scale), and one or two in the middle range - say 4 and 6.
Don't be too worried about the middle ranges, though you do need them too - it's the lightest and darkest which are vital.
Beginners often make a superb tonal scale, but are afraid to re-create that darkest tone on their actual drawings.
"I'm scared!" is a common cry...
Well, it's a sheet of paper - you won't kill anyone or drown or cause an accident - so just do it! Good quality pencils and paper will definitely help - the next article will cover the pencil grades, and how to get the most from them.
Have a look at the objects around you - anything at all.
Try to tell where on the tonal scale the object is - is it very pale? So it might be a 1 or a 3...
Is it very dark? So it might be a 9 or a 10...
When you draw something, ask yourself constantly what tone it is.
"Ah," you're saying - "but what if it's coloured?" I'm coming to that - in another article!
The patch can be as big or small as you like, but something about an inch (2 or 3cms) across is ideal.
Make another patch next to the first - but this time use just a little more pressure, to make a very slightly darker patch.
Continue making these patches, in a row, each one slightly darker than the last, until you find you can't make one any darker - you can go back over it if necessary.
You'll need to press harder with the pencil, and probably find yourself holding it differently for each patch - eventually you'll find you can't press any harder and you'll have a patch on the end of the row as dark as it will go.
Now stop! Look at what you have - a row of patches, each one darker than the last.
How many have you got? Probably 8 or 10.
Now number them, making the first, lightest patch No.
2 (yes 2 - you'll see why in a minute) and the last, darkest patch, whatever number it ends up with - probably 8 or 10 (maybe 9, it doesn't matter as long as you've got a row from lightest to darkest.
) Go back to the beginning of the row, and draw just a circle, or a square, so you've got a patch of pure white paper inside it.
That's why you started a little way in! This is your tone Number 1.
Congratulations! You've made a Tonal Scale! So what has this to do with your drawing? Take some drawings you've done, and compare them to the scale.
IMPORTANT - use YOUR scale, not mine! Try to see where the tones in your drawing match the tones on the scale.
If you think your drawing lacks something, probably only tones you can match are in the middle range, say 4 to 7, and none will match the very darkest tones.
So what does this tell you? To give your drawing dynamism, you must be able to see the darker tones.
Whether it's 8, 9 or 10 on your tonal scale, it needs to have, somewhere, the darkest, strongest tone you can make.
It often only needs to be a small area that has this darkest tone - obvious places are underneath objects where the light can't reach - but it makes all the difference to the result.
Equally important is Tone Number 1, pure white - this, and the darkest tone, give you the complete TONAL RANGE to use in your drawings.
You may have noticed I haven't given Tone No.
1, the lightest, as much emphasis as I have the darkest tone.
It's equally important, but for some reason it doesn't give beginners nearly as much anxiety as including the darkest tones! IMPORTANT - You don't need ALL these tones, 1 to 10, in a drawing - but you DO need the lightest, No.
1, the darkest, No 10 (or whatever it is on your scale), and one or two in the middle range - say 4 and 6.
Don't be too worried about the middle ranges, though you do need them too - it's the lightest and darkest which are vital.
Beginners often make a superb tonal scale, but are afraid to re-create that darkest tone on their actual drawings.
"I'm scared!" is a common cry...
Well, it's a sheet of paper - you won't kill anyone or drown or cause an accident - so just do it! Good quality pencils and paper will definitely help - the next article will cover the pencil grades, and how to get the most from them.
Have a look at the objects around you - anything at all.
Try to tell where on the tonal scale the object is - is it very pale? So it might be a 1 or a 3...
Is it very dark? So it might be a 9 or a 10...
When you draw something, ask yourself constantly what tone it is.
"Ah," you're saying - "but what if it's coloured?" I'm coming to that - in another article!