Drawing the Sky - Choosing Tonal Values

By Helen South, About.com Guide

Clear blue sky can be surprisingly dark, especially if the sun is behind you as you view the scene. This photograph coverted into grayscale demonstrates just how dark some of the values really are. Its worth noting that a camera sees things differently than the eye, and of course, you don't have to copy everything slavishly.

In drawing a scene like this, I would make the sky a little lighter than the mid-gray shown in the photo, and would make the graduation of value a little more dramatic. Use a sharp, hard pencil - start with an H then move to a softer pencil if needed. Keep the pencil sharp and shade with the point, very evenly in small random circles to prevent bands of uneven tone. Take your time - shading the sky can be boring, but don't rush it.

Previous

• Drawing the Sky - Clear Blue Sky
• Drawing the Sky - An Overcast Day
• Drawing the Sky - Sunset
• Drawing the Sky - Exercise - Charcoal Clouds

Next