Strathmore : 400 Series : Toned Sketch Pads

Starting your artwork using mid-range tan or gray paper allows for unique sketching & drawing possibilities rendered by the artist.  A wider range of values from light to dark can be used, and the middle tone makes it easier for the artist to deliberately place shadows and highlights. Keeping the value of the paper as one of the values in the drawing not only saves time, but allows the artist to use graphite or other dark media to push darker values and white pencils or other light media to add highlights, making sketches and drawings pop.