My fabric supplier in Raleigh told me to stop sketching on white paper

Switched to a light gray sketchpad and suddenly my color choices looked way more real, not washed out. Anyone else have a simple tool switch that fixed a basic design problem?

3 comments

3 Comments

derekhill1mo ago

Honestly thought white paper was the neutral standard for years. Swapping to a mid-tone gray for my initial thumbnails was a game changer, it just gives the colors something to sit against properly from the start. Makes everything feel less like a pastel sketch and more like the final piece.

umastone1mo ago

Game changer" feels like a strong word for just picking a different background color. It's a gray square, not a magic trick. I get that it helps see values better, but calling it a pastel sketch on white seems like you're making a bigger deal out of it than it is. It's just a setup choice, not the secret key to good art.

the_lucas1mo ago

It's about seeing the values, not the color.