Smooth tone is gray with no visible strokes, like a soft shadow on a wall. You build it slowly, with light, even layers.
- Use small overlapping circles, or tight hatching that changes direction a little with each layer.
- Keep the pressure light. Go over the area several times instead of pressing hard once.
- For darker values, switch to a softer pencil (a 2B, then a 4B or 6B) instead of pressing harder.
- To soften the tone, rub it gently with a blending stump (a rolled-paper stick, also called a tortillon) or a tissue.
Key idea
Build smooth tone with many light layers. Get darker by adding layers and using a softer pencil, not by pressing hard.
Why it works
Light layers leave graphite on the tops of the paper's tooth and let later layers fill in between. Heavy pressure crushes the tooth flat and polishes the graphite into a shiny skin. After that, new layers slide off, and the dark area looks shiny and patchy.
Worked example: Stuck at medium gray
Mia pressed hard with an HB pencil. Her shadow is shiny and will not get darker. What should she do next time?
- Hard pressure burnished the paper, so it will not take more graphite.
- She should use light layers, and switch to a softer pencil for the dark values.
Answer: Build light layers, and reach the darks with a softer pencil such as 4B or 6B.
Common mistake
People press hard to get a dark tone fast. Heavy pressure flattens the paper's tooth so later layers will not go on. Press lightly; let layers and softer grades do the work.