Hi Ginny- good start on this cylinder toning exercise. Your darks are nice and rich! Be aware that the dark toning on the left side should not be as dark as the shadowed side. You want to work left from the highlight to a tone 4 or 5. I would suggest a couple of other things to work on. I see distinct vertical lines separating the tones. Work on blending your tones from dark to light so you don’t have visible bands. There are times when highlights might be thin, white bands (a shiny subject e.g.) but I would work on conquering light toning. The areas immediately flanking the highlight could be lighter for a smoother transition to the mid-ranges. A kneaded eraser is a great tool for lifting and lightening. Lastly, finish off your cast shadow. The cylinder reads as being tall which would create a long shadow. You don’t have to draw all of it. Have it be darker close to the cylinder and then fade off. Another good practice for light toning. Remember the shadow should be a nice even finish and not too dark.
16 February 2020
Ginny, this is great practice! I agree with Doug about smoothing out those transitions in tone… the best way to do that is to stroke in many different directions; even turn your paper as you go if it feels more natural. That way, you won’t get those lines that Doug mentioned. 🙂 Great work!
Hi Ginny- good start on this cylinder toning exercise. Your darks are nice and rich! Be aware that the dark toning on the left side should not be as dark as the shadowed side. You want to work left from the highlight to a tone 4 or 5. I would suggest a couple of other things to work on. I see distinct vertical lines separating the tones. Work on blending your tones from dark to light so you don’t have visible bands. There are times when highlights might be thin, white bands (a shiny subject e.g.) but I would work on conquering light toning. The areas immediately flanking the highlight could be lighter for a smoother transition to the mid-ranges. A kneaded eraser is a great tool for lifting and lightening. Lastly, finish off your cast shadow. The cylinder reads as being tall which would create a long shadow. You don’t have to draw all of it. Have it be darker close to the cylinder and then fade off. Another good practice for light toning. Remember the shadow should be a nice even finish and not too dark.
Ginny, this is great practice! I agree with Doug about smoothing out those transitions in tone… the best way to do that is to stroke in many different directions; even turn your paper as you go if it feels more natural. That way, you won’t get those lines that Doug mentioned. 🙂 Great work!