| In thenext few lessons, I'm going to introduce you to all the different and exciting drawing media. We'll explore all the different forms each medium takes and the various effects each can produce. As you experiment with each different medium, you'll learn it's unique capabilities; then you'll be able to apply these capabilities to a drawing which requires those particular effects. We'll begin with that most versatile and eloquent stick - known as charcoal. | |
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Vine and Compressed Charcoal:
Various types of charcoal lend themselves to particular drawing requirements. (Illustration left) A stick of vine (soft) charcoal or a #2B charcoal pencil, applied with very little pressure, can be used for the first sketches of your drawing. When you are satisfied with your initial delineation, you can start your decisive rendering with types of charcoal that produce bolder tones: charcoal sticks #2, #3, and #4, or a big fat #7 charcoal pencil. You can cover large tonal areas in a wink by laying the #2, #3, or #4 charcoal sticks on their sides and rubbing them in quick, broad strokes. The tones produced will depend on the grade - soft, medium, or hard - of the various charcoal sticks and the amount of pressure you apply. Powered Charcoal: Powered charcoal is useful in covering an unusually large area - say 4' X 6' - with a gray tone. It usually comes in a paper container. To apply it, you lay your drawing paper down flat. Sprinkle the powder as evenly as possible over the entire surface; then rub or blend the powder with a chamois skin. The more powder, the darker the tone, naturally. |
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Erasers and Blenders:
Charcoal can produce an endless variety of strokes. These strokes can be further modified into a wide variety of tones by using blenders, that is, tools that smooth or blend charcoal strokes into tones. A simple paper tissue or piece of cotton can be used to blend charcoal. A kneaded eraser also blends and helps to lift out light passages from the charcoal tone. There are also paper stumps for blending. These are nothing more than tightly rolled paper formed into a pointed tool. The small, narrow ones are called tortillions. Papers: There's an endless variety of papers to choose from. Besides regular drawing paper, made specifically for charcoal, you can use ersatz drawing surfaces such as brown paper bags, paper plates, and napkins. Toned Papers: Although we usually think in terms of drawing on white paper, tinted or toned papers open up even more possibilities for various effects When you use a toned paper, its tone or tint automatically produces an overall middle tone. Fixative: Since most of the charcoal sticks and pencils mentioned smudge easily, you should spray you finished drawings with transparent fixative. Hold you can about a foot from your drawing. Try to spray across your drawing rather than straight down upon it, and keep the can constantly moving. |
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Charcoal's Versatility:
Explore all the possibilities of technique that charcoal offers. The virtues of the charcoal stick aren't necessarily confined to it's point. By using its entire length flat on the paper, a charcoal stick can also produce vigorous, broad passages. A square stick has eight corners that can be shaved for fine lines, and its width can be used for broad strokes as well. Find out what effects the same charcoal stick will give you when you apply it with different pressures. The countless results of charcoal can be multiplied still further by using different kinds of paper - from smooth to rough. Ease of Manipulation: Francisco Goya said two centuries ago: "Give me a piece of charcoal and I'll paint your portrait!" He was speaking of charcoal's flexibility and ease of manipulation. You can easily spread a large even tone, deepen and accent it where required, pick out highlights, and reinforce the tone with line, just as you would with oils - the traditional medium for portraits. See you next time! |