"Tonal Studies" might as well be called "Drawings."

I don't get why artists claim that the point of the study was to do a "tonal study" --- all drawings are tonal studies. If you're not studying the tones, then I don't know what you're doing. You're not drawing. You're adding a mix bag of whatever? It's closer to mindless coloring than drawing.

Here's the thing...

I come from mindless coloring. That's how I started! I just wish that they told me that's what I was doing. I wish that those people that made 'tonal studies' would tell me "but that's basically the same thing as making a 'drawing'" so that I knew! I HAD NO IDEA I WAS SUPPOSED TO STUDY THE TONES FROM STEP 1. Even with the line art stage, pay attention to your tonal values (where the shadows will be in her face, and how her nose is sticking out and will be brighter bc it's closer to you) kind of things. The sketch part would have heavier lines in certain areas, and lighter lines in others because it makes the hand look like it's coming out to me more.

But noooo! All of you gang of artists just kept that information to your insider group. It was like a secret that you discovered later on, and you would just claim it as a guise of 'practice.' Dude, practice taught me too, but I'd have a better head start if I didn't have to keep learning it the hard way by doing it wrong the entire time. Yeesh.