If you want to get better at drawing light, draw on grey. The Art Spectrum Toned Paper Pad A4 in Grey is the neutral mid tone that teaches you to see values, because every mark is either darker or lighter than the paper.

Forty sheets of 250gsm grey paper in A4 (210 x 297mm). It is the go to sheet for value studies, urban sketching, architecture and moody monochrome drawing.

The Neutral Mid Tone

Grey is the most honest of the toned papers. A warm ground like Sand flatters, while grey simply reports. That makes it the best paper for practising value, the single skill that does the most for any drawing or painting.

It is also the paper of buildings, streets, steel and weather. Graphite looks silvery on it, white chalk looks like light on wet stone. Try it with a mix of charcoal pencils and a white pastel.

Why Grey Makes You a Better Drawer

• Values you can see. Every mark sits clearly above or below the paper's mid tone.
• Neutral colour. Coloured pastels keep their true temperature.
• Perfect for cities. Concrete, glass and sky all feel at home on grey.
• Planning tool. Ideal for thumbnails before a painting.

How to Work on Grey

Squint at your subject to simplify it into dark, middle and light. Put in the darks first, leave the paper for the middle, then add highlights in white. Keep the white areas small and they will look brilliant.

For colour, cool blues and greens look calm on grey, while warm oranges and reds pop. Experiment on a spare sheet to see the difference.

Questions About the Art Spectrum A4 Grey Toned Pad