By Jasmina Susak • Updated on January 21, 2026 • Includes FREE drawing tutorial
Drawing on toned paper has many benefits. If you haven’t drawn on toned paper yet, I hope I can convince you to try it. In this blog, you’ll discover 7 reasons to draw on toned paper, along with a free drawing tutorial to help you learn and improve your drawing skills.
1. The drawing looks more realistic
In 2014, when I started using colored pencils after drawing only with graphite, I tried gray toned paper and quickly noticed that my drawings looked more realistic and eye-catching.
Here’s a real example. I drew the same orca twice using the same reference photo (just flipped horizontally), the same tools, and the same skills. One drawing was on white paper, and the other on gray paper. The white paper version looked okay, but the toned paper made everything feel more alive. Highlights stood out better, shadows blended in naturally, and I could even show the water foam from the orca’s splash – something that got lost on white paper. The paper alone made all the difference in how realistic the drawing looked.
2. You can Start Drawing with White, which is very Interesting
If you’ve spent most of your time drawing on white paper, you’ll find it’s pure fun to start with white instead. So grab your white, black, and cool gray colored pencils – Prismacolor Premier has great options, and Polychromos offers Cold Gray shades with different values. But even one gray pencil will do the job if you change the pressure on it and blend it well with white.
FREE Step-by-Step Drawing Tutorial – How to Draw a White Car with Colored Pencils
So, I drew this car on grey paper because this Audi is white, and I wanted to
achieve a strong contrast between the grey background and the white car. Below
is the reference photo:
Draw a light outline of the car with a graphite pencil using the grid method. You can read more about how to use the grid method on the GriDraw website. You have to decide for yourself which lines you need in your drawing. Some artists sketch out every main line, while others only draw a few basic outlines and add the details later.
In the next image, you can see my pencil sketch. If you don’t have gray paper yet, just download my sketch and print it on your own paper to get started.
Since I’m drawing this car on toned gray paper, I’m starting with white, which I find really interesting. I hope you’re also using gray paper and doing the same. In this step, I use a white colored pencil by Prismacolor Premier, pressing firmly to cover the grey tone of the paper.
Look at the reference photo and notice that not every part of the car’s body is pure white. That’s why I leave those areas untouched for now. I don’t draw them with white. Remember, when white surfaces are in shadow, they’re not white anymore – their value changes. It’s often very hard to distinguish highlights from light areas. That’s why I’ve created the tool Highlight & Shadow Isolator Online Free Tool where you can upload unlimited numbers of photos, any time, in any browser for free, without registration and ads, move the scale to the right (as seen in the image below) to reveal which areas are the brightest. You can also move the scale to the left to see which shadows are the darkest.
You can see in the next image how I created the pure white areas from the image that this tool isolated for me.
Now we can create the shadowed white areas. I used Cool Gray 10% by Prismacolor Premier, which is a great choice for parts like this. By pressing hard and blending with small circular strokes, I can achieve a smooth, even texture.
Want to learn more from me?
Join us on the Colored Pencil Tutor website to watch more drawings on toned paper, including animals.
I drew this vivid, richly colored lollipop with colored pencils on Strathmore Toned Tan paper. It took me about 3 hours to complete, and I narrated the entire drawing process step by step.
Look at the next image and notice how the shadowed white areas appear in my drawing. They’re still white, just not as bright as the highlights. That’s exactly what we want to achieve.
If you’re wondering how I – and many other artists – decide which color or shade to use, we use PenPick: Color Picker for Artists. PenPick provides separate apps for Colored Pencils, Pastels, Markers, and Graphite. You can use it too with your own reference photos, anytime, 24/7, after joining us. More info and the subscription form are available on the PenPick website. I talk more about this in my blog post: How to Choose the Right Colored Pencils for Your Drawings
See below how PenPick Colored Pencils suggested the Prismacolor colored pencils I used for the Audi in this tutorial as I click over the areas in thereference photo.
Next, I strengthen the lines between the doors and the hood using a well-sharpened Cool Grey 90% by Prismacolor Premier. If you can’t draw a perfectly straight line freehand, feel free to use a ruler – it’s totally fine. Compare the previous step with the next image to see exactly what I added. You’ll notice some tiny lines that now appear darker and more defined.
Now it’s time to draw the darkest parts using a well-sharpened black colored pencil. Be careful – black is hard to erase. If you’re unsure, sketch with graphite first and go over it with black when you’re ready. In this step, I’m focusing only on the black areas like the grilles, bumpers, and the cast shadow under the car. Use a sharp pencil for clean edges, and take your time – these parts are important for creating contrast and realism.
Next, create the gray parts using Cool Gray 50% by Prismacolor Premier. With this pencil, draw the tires, the rims, the grey area on the hood above the engine, the mirror, and the inner parts of the car. These areas matter too, so use a well-sharpened grey pencil and take your time to draw them carefully.
Lastly, add the details to the rims. If you’re drawing on toned gray paper like I am, you already have the base gray color. But if you’re working on a white paper, fill in the areas you left untouched in the previous step using Cool Gray 30% colored pencil by Prismacolor Premier. Now take a moment to observe how your colors appear together and how they interact visually. As a final touch, feel free to darken or lighten any areas to create a stronger contrast and bring more depth to your drawing.
See these steps in action in my time-lapse video below.
3. You Don’t Have to Color the Background
One of the best things about drawing on toned paper is that it already gives you a ready-made background. If you choose the right paper color, it can represent the sky, water, or even a soft atmosphere – no need to fill in every inch. For example, I drew two bald eagles flying in the sky on blue paper, a shark swimming in ocean water, and a dolphin where the paper became the sea itself. It saves time, saves pencils, and makes the drawing look more complete with less effort
3. You Already Have Mid-Tones, Which Saves Time
If you draw black & white portraits, like my Madonna drawing, toned gray paper gives you a base skin tone, so you just work toward shadows and highlights.
Watch the time-lapse drawing video below to see how I created portraits of the Harry Potter actors. I actually started with the highlights. Gray paper gives you a middle value to start with. That means you can focus on adding shadows and highlights, which speeds up the whole process. It’s one of the reasons I like working on toned surfaces. It just makes everything simpler.
Even colored pencil portraits on toned paper will have eye-catching, striking eyes and beautifully rich skin tones.
You can watch a real-time, narrated portrait drawing of this girl by joining us at the Colored Pencil Tutor website.
5. It’s Easier to Apply Colored Pencils One Over
Another
What I’ve noticed when working on toned paper is that after I apply a base color, I can layer lighter pencils over it, and the strokes are more visible than when I do that on white paper. So it’s similar to working with pastel pencils.
If you want to watch real-time, narrated drawing tutorials, like this lighthouse at sea below, join us over at the Colored Pencil Tutor website.
6. White Paper Makes Drawings Look Flat and
Pale
When you try drawing on toned paper, you’ll notice how transparent colored pencils actually are. They always let the color of the paper show through. That’s why drawing on white paper will always look more pale, hence flat. So, for the same drawing subject, you have to use completely different colored pencils on different toned papers.
Tip: If you draw on toned paper, always create your color swatches on that same paper. Swatches made on white paper will look completely different from how they appear on gray or any other toned surface.
When I drew these tigers on green paper, I tested the colored pencils on the same paper before applying them to the drawing. I created swatches using the pencils I planned to use, just to see how they’d look on that background.
7. It Helps You Develop Your Skills Further
Drawing on toned paper challenges you in a good way. You learn to think in values, not just lines and colors. Instead of building everything up from white, you start from the middle and have to add both shadows and highlights. It trains your eye to see subtle changes and helps you understand contrast, lighting, and form better. It’s a great way to improve faster, especially if you’re used to white paper only.
Drawing on Black Paper
Drawing on black paper is hard because black paper absorbs brightness from colored pencils and other transparent media, so you have to use completely different colors than when you draw on white or toned tan paper.
When I want my background to stay black and my subject is also dark, I often draw inverted drawings. This works by creating a negative of your reference photo in any image editor that offers this filter. Then you draw what you see and invert your final result.
You can see in the image below how I drew this tiger swimming in water. On the left is the original drawing, and on the right is a negative filter applied to my drawing. Because of this approach, I was able to draw minimally, which saved me a lot of time.
I have tutorials on inverted drawings with colored pencils on the Colored Pencil Tutor website, and with graphite pencils on the Pencil Drawing Tutor website.
Now, back to black paper. Honestly, so far I’ve completed only one drawing on black paper, but I plan to do more. The image below shows my colored pencil drawing of an owl, which received a Daily Deviation on DeviantArt. I narrated the entire drawing process, and it’s available on the Colored Pencil Tutor website.
I really recommend drawing on black paper because it helps broaden your perception of color values. As mentioned earlier, you’ll need to use brighter color values unless you’re working with an opaque medium.
What Should I Draw? 18 Drawing Ideas for
Inspiration
In the video below, I explain how to take your own reference photo for drawing or painting on toned paper – it’s easier than you think and gives you original material to work with. If you’re looking for drawing ideas and some inspiration to get started, you’ll find a few suggestions right here.
Want to draw portraits with colored pencils? Head to my blog for tips, techniques, and real-time drawing videos – all FREE in How to Draw Portraits with Colored Pencils.
Free Online Tools for Artists and Teachers
Frequently Asked Questions:
Toned paper is any drawing paper that isn’t pure white. The most commonly used toned papers are gray and tanned (beige). Choosing between them depends on your preference and the effect you want to achieve in your drawing.
Which color of paper is best for drawing?
Neutral toned paper like gray is the most versatile. For example, Strathmore Toned Gray is perfect for portraits and realism. It gives you a mid-tone to build both highlights and shadows on.
Try drawing on different colored papers – gray, blue, green, red, anything you have. Each color will affect how your pencils show up and how colors relate to each other. Some subjects even look better on specific paper tones
The most popular toned papers among artists are Strathmore Toned Gray and Clairefontaine Pastelmat. Both are high-quality and work well with colored pencils, graphite, charcoal, and pastels
You can make your own toned paper. How do you make toned paper? You can easily create toned paper using Photoshop or any other image editor. Just choose a color from the color palette, color the blank canvas, and print it on your white drawing paper. Great for testing how colors look on different backgrounds.
You can use almost any medium on toned paper. Colored pencils work great, but since they’re transparent, proper blending is important. Opaque markers and pastels are easier to use. I often use graphite and white charcoal too. Always test your tools on a separate piece of the same paper to see how they react.
Black paper can be beautiful but very difficult. It absorbs light, so colored pencils often look dull unless you’re highly experienced. I recommend practicing on lighter toned paper first.
Toned paper isn’t necessarily better – it’s just different. Many artists prefer it because it gives you a mid-tone to work from, which helps with building highlights and shadows. It can also make drawings look more realistic and save time, since you don’t have to fill the background.
Yes, you can use markers on toned paper – especially if they’re opaque. White opaque markers like Uni Posca work great and show up really well. Many artists, including myself, use them to add the brightest highlights on top of a finished drawing.