{"id":46201,"date":"2025-10-28T01:02:20","date_gmt":"2025-10-28T05:02:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/willceau.com\/news\/?p=46201"},"modified":"2025-10-27T21:41:17","modified_gmt":"2025-10-28T01:41:17","slug":"47-fewer-shades-of-gray","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/willceau.com\/news\/2025\/10\/28\/47-fewer-shades-of-gray\/","title":{"rendered":"47 Fewer Shades of Gray"},"content":{"rendered":"

Only 3 shades of gray, that is. Just black and white on gray paper.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Teenage Beast by Joe Williams on Strathmore Toned Gray Paper<\/p><\/div>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

I bought this Strathmore Toned Gray<\/em> sketch pad about eight years ago, but it mostly gathered dust. I meant to use water-soluble graphite, yet nothing that slid off the pencil onto this sketchbook ever excited me. The black pencils were never black enough, and the white charcoal I tried for highlights vanished if you so much as breathed on it. I would bear down on the pencils trying to increase the contrast, but it all wound up gray on gray. Step back, and the drawing felt as if it wasn\u2019t there.<\/p>\n

Eventually you had to call the drawing finished, then drown it in spray fixative so it wouldn\u2019t smear. I hate that step. It stinks\u2014literally.<\/p>\n

Ink is far more permanent than pencil. The blacks are pure, absolute\u2014100% black\u2014with a final visual impact that hits like a sledgehammer. I use a white Sakura Gel Pen<\/em> for highlights and let the paper\u2019s natural gray stand as my mid-tone. I\u2019ve sampled other materials along the way; most proved to be dead ends. There\u2019s no denying good old India ink. Once it dries, it won\u2019t smear\u2014that steadfast reliability keeps me coming back.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ll use this sketchbook up and see where it takes me. Maybe I\u2019ll even buy another. I don\u2019t recall what I paid back then, but like everything else, the price has climbed.<\/p>\n

\n

These ink drawings are headed for The Teenage Beast<\/em>\u2014a story I\u2019m still shaping. The cast is taking form, the direction is sharpening, and the beast itself is starting to show its teeth.<\/p>\n

Stay tuned!<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A monstrously monochromatic rendering of the Teenage Beast on tonal paper. Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":46196,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[4953,7,49],"tags":[158,6134,988,17,8,5560,6122,3668,6126,76,3661,6124,6115,5,6133,23,6128,6129,6127,6125,3663,25,6132,6123,480,6130,6131,3660],"class_list":["post-46201","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-doodle-tuesday","category-illustration","category-it-came-from-the-sketchbook","tag-analog","tag-art-materials","tag-black-and-white","tag-cartoon","tag-cartoons","tag-contrast","tag-gray-paper","tag-halloween","tag-highlights","tag-horror","tag-illustration","tag-india-ink","tag-ink-drawing","tag-joe-williams","tag-mid-tone","tag-monster","tag-no-smearing","tag-pencil-frustration","tag-permanence","tag-sakura-gel-pen","tag-sketch","tag-sketchbook","tag-spray-fixative","tag-strathmore-toned-gray","tag-usa","tag-water-soluble-graphite","tag-white-charcoal","tag-willceau"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Teenage-Beast_gray-paper-RGB.jpg?fit=550%2C747&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1ed1x-c1b","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":40404,"url":"https:\/\/willceau.com\/news\/2023\/04\/11\/second-thoughts-on-a-cheap-sketchbook\/","url_meta":{"origin":46201,"position":0},"title":"Second Thoughts on a Cheap Sketchbook…","author":"Joe","date":"April 11, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"I may get my $3.25 worth out of the terrible little sketchbook from discount chain Five Below after all. I have stubbornly refused to put it aside, and I continue to doodle in it as I sit on the couch with a cat and a spouse. It's been more miss\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Doodle Tuesday"","block_context":{"text":"Doodle Tuesday","link":"https:\/\/willceau.com\/news\/category\/it-came-from-the-sketchbook\/doodle-tuesday\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Teenage-Werewolf-at-the-Reunion.jpg?fit=640%2C578&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Teenage-Werewolf-at-the-Reunion.jpg?fit=640%2C578&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Teenage-Werewolf-at-the-Reunion.jpg?fit=640%2C578&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":44183,"url":"https:\/\/willceau.com\/news\/2024\/12\/10\/playing-with-the-new-toys\/","url_meta":{"origin":46201,"position":1},"title":"Playing with the New Toys","author":"Joe","date":"December 10, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"I continue to sit on my couch with a cat and a spouse scribbling my grotesques into the night, but now I am adding some new tools into the mix. I have been playing with the terrific Sailor Fude De Mannen fountain pen loaded with waterproof Platinum Carbon Ink for\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Doodle Tuesday"","block_context":{"text":"Doodle Tuesday","link":"https:\/\/willceau.com\/news\/category\/it-came-from-the-sketchbook\/doodle-tuesday\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/sailor-fude-de-mannen-fountain-pen.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/sailor-fude-de-mannen-fountain-pen.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/sailor-fude-de-mannen-fountain-pen.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/sailor-fude-de-mannen-fountain-pen.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":44331,"url":"https:\/\/willceau.com\/news\/2025\/01\/02\/strathmore-200-sketchbook\/","url_meta":{"origin":46201,"position":2},"title":"Strathmore 200 Sketchbook","author":"Joe","date":"January 2, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"April 23, 2024 to December 31, 2024 I put another small sketchbook to rest just before the start of the new year. This one was a Strathmore 200 Mixed Media pad which measures 5.5 inches by 8.5 inches and has 60 thick pages suitable for wet and dry media. It's\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "It Came From the Sketchbook"","block_context":{"text":"It Came From the Sketchbook","link":"https:\/\/willceau.com\/news\/category\/it-came-from-the-sketchbook\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Strathmore-200.jpg?fit=640%2C842&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Strathmore-200.jpg?fit=640%2C842&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Strathmore-200.jpg?fit=640%2C842&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":40314,"url":"https:\/\/willceau.com\/news\/2023\/03\/28\/arrivederci-sketchbook\/","url_meta":{"origin":46201,"position":3},"title":"Arrivederci Sketchbook","author":"Joe","date":"March 28, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Out of This World Sketch Pad October 17, 2022 - March 26, 2023 I have put to rest what is probably the last of the novelty sketchpads distributed by the Horizon Group USA to Target stores. At least it was the last that I had, and I haven't been able\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Doodle Tuesday"","block_context":{"text":"Doodle Tuesday","link":"https:\/\/willceau.com\/news\/category\/it-came-from-the-sketchbook\/doodle-tuesday\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/I-eat-a-lot-of-Oranges.jpg?fit=640%2C424&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/I-eat-a-lot-of-Oranges.jpg?fit=640%2C424&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/I-eat-a-lot-of-Oranges.jpg?fit=640%2C424&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":44236,"url":"https:\/\/willceau.com\/news\/2024\/12\/17\/tuesday-doodle-6\/","url_meta":{"origin":46201,"position":4},"title":"Tuesday Doodle","author":"Joe","date":"December 17, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"I am having a lot of fun using my Sailor Fude fountain pens in a couple of small, mixed media sketchbooks. Sometimes I have a subject in mind, and other times -- like the drawing above -- I go wherever my pencils and pens take me. I roughed something out\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Doodle Tuesday"","block_context":{"text":"Doodle Tuesday","link":"https:\/\/willceau.com\/news\/category\/it-came-from-the-sketchbook\/doodle-tuesday\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/The-Monster-v-Lady-Frankenstein.jpg?fit=550%2C708&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/The-Monster-v-Lady-Frankenstein.jpg?fit=550%2C708&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/The-Monster-v-Lady-Frankenstein.jpg?fit=550%2C708&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":22204,"url":"https:\/\/willceau.com\/news\/2017\/05\/04\/going-going\/","url_meta":{"origin":46201,"position":5},"title":"Going…going…","author":"Joe_Williams","date":"May 4, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"The Sketchbook from Heaven is fading fast. I only have a couple of blank pages left as of this writing. I'll soon be moving on to the sketchbook I cleaved in two in order to approximate the aspect ratio of my soon-to-be completed pad. Hopefully the new sketchbook will be\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "It Came From the Sketchbook"","block_context":{"text":"It Came From the Sketchbook","link":"https:\/\/willceau.com\/news\/category\/it-came-from-the-sketchbook\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/White-Heat.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46201","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=46201"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46201\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/46196"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=46201"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=46201"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=46201"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}