Surfaces
Rather than just being a backdrop to your work, papers and surfaces can be used creatively.
Newspaper, brown paper, tissue paper, tracing paper, wallpaper, textured papers or any other interesting surfaces can be used to enhance a drawing.
When you are using soft media like charcoal or chalk pastel, working on rougher paper can add texture and interest.
Instead of always working on plain white paper it can be useful to experiment with coloured surfaces or to shade or colour a background before drawing a subject.
Dark paper can be a very effective background for drawing with white or light pencil and pastels. This is a good way to draw attention to highlights or brighter parts of your subject.
Prepared ground techniques