What is tone?

Tone is how light or dark something looks. Use pencil pressure and pencil type to make light, mid and dark tones. Practise smoothing with tiny circular strokes or gentle, even layers.

Tip: hold your pencil at an angle for softer marks. Write the date as DD/MM/YYYY.

1. Choose the tools you will use (tick any):

2. Shade the three circles below. Each circle should be filled smoothly with its labelled tone.

a) Dark tone — press more and layer until very dark.

b) Mid tone — keep medium pressure, aim for an even grey.

c) Light tone — use light pressure and gentle marks.

3. Shade a smooth transition from dark to light across the rectangle. Start very dark on the left and gradually lighten to the right. Try to make the change gradual and even.

4. Short reflection: What helped you make a smooth transition? Name one thing you would try next time.