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Drawing with Charcoal

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Drawing with Charcoal This book contains all the information required The step-by-step exercises explain how to ap- to begin drawing with different media: charcoal proach drawing a model, and presenting and and its derivatives, sanguine crayon, chalk, dry evaluating the different media, while imparting a pastel, graphite, colored pencils, and oil-based basic understanding of color theory. crayons and pastels. All the media discussed can The fact that so many different media are be used for drawing lines, shading (in the cases of covered does not mean that this book is unfo- charcoal and graphite), and coloring. They are cused. To the contrary, it provides an overview applied to a support, usually paper, following a of all that is essential for making progress in series of procedures that are referred to as dry drawing and painting. Basing lessons on the ob- techniques. And although they possess similar servation of a model, this book analyzes each characteristics, their differences require different drawing and the light that illuminates it, teaching techniques and render results that are very differ- the reader to mentally situate the areas of light ent as well. The various media and effects, com- and shadow and to apply a range of tonal values bined with the personal working style of each art- and colors necessary for modeling the volumes. ist, all contribute to the wide range of expressive Dry media are ideal for realistic representations possibilities. All the dry media will be covered in because during the learning phase the applica- this book, each one requiring the development of tions and techniques emphasize depth. good drawing skills and a mastery of color. Francese Crespo drew a large still life with charcoal and added a note of color with sanguine crayon. Dry Techniques here are media that can be applied using dry T techniques without the need for additives or complementary products, such as charcoal, sanguine crayon, chalk, and soft pastel. But graphite, colored pencils, wax crayons, and oil pastels are also consid- ered to be oil-based media because of their grease, oil, or wax components. Techniques common to all of them include line, shading or coloring, gradating, blending, and rubbing. The effects and results pro- duced by each of these techniques, and others that are not common to all, depend on the medium that is used. A general overview comparing work done with different media will make this quite clear. SKETCHING MEDIA It is obvious that a sketch can be made with the same medium that is going to be used to make the final for use in the pre- most used media for drawing. However, it liminary sketch for sketching. is not always done another medium. For Although a work of art this way, since the example, the volatil- can be done entirely in characteristics of one ity of charcoal causes charcoal, sanguine crayon, medium make it ideal it to be one of the chalk, pastel, graphite pen- cil, colored pencil, or oil pastel, these media are of- ten used to create the pre- liminary sketch of a draw- ing or painting that is then done in another medium. Charcoal, chalk, and soft pastel are usually used to make sketches for oils and acrylics. Watercolors, on the other hand, require sketches done with graphite or colored pencils, even water-soluble ones. Oil This is a character portrait, pastel, which can be dis- L'Arnau, done completely in solved with turpentine or charcoal by M. Braunstein using mineral spirits, can be used the basic techniques of line, gradation, and rubbing. in the sketch for a painting that will be completed in oils. A line drawing is the usual technique for a sketch, the elements and main shapes representing the model being loosely Gabriel Martin used charcoal and black chalk to create this Still Life. drawn on the surface of the support. PERFECT MEDIA DRY MEDIA ARE COMPATIBLE FOR SKETCHING White chalk is used to highlight a charcoal drawing. Sepia is used to darken sanguine Charcoal, sanguine crayon, and white chalk is used to lighten it. crayon, chalk, pastel, The historic technique aux trois crayons mixes graphite and colored charcoal, sanguine crayon, and white chalk, pencils, and oil pastel which can be used to achieve a perfect repre- can be used to make sentation of volume. Charcoal and sanguine sketches using line, crayon are perfectly compatible with colored shadow, and color to chalk and the soft pastels. The same is true of indicate the light and soft pastels and the colored chalks, which are shadow of the model. nothing more than hard pastel. In addition, the tech- Sanguine crayon, chalk, or pastel can be niques of gradating used over a sketch made with charcoal. In any and some blending and case, it is always a good idea to draw lightly rubbing can be applied with the charcoal so the medium applied over to more developed it will not become dirty. sketches. The sketch can be achromatic The graphite pen- (charcoal or graphite pen- cil is a very inter- cil), monochro-matic, with esting tool, since it can be used to one color of sanguine make a small crayon, chalk, dry or oil drawing with a lot pastel, or colored pencil), of detail. or done in several colors. Head of a Girl, by Jean Baptiste Greuze, illustrates the three pencil drawing techniques: charcoal pencil, sanguine pencil, and white chalk highlights. Portrait of a Figure was done with silver point, a very old medium that cannot be cor- rected. Carlant drew on a smooth paper covered with a thin layer of dry gouache, using a silver point and a copper wire in a lead holder. The characteristics of DRY MEDIA AND soft pastel gradations OIL-BASED MEDIA lend an expressive accu- racy and painterly style The techniques of blending to the modeling of this and rubbing create a very figure done by similar effect with charcoal, Oscar Sanchis. sanguine crayon, chalk, and dry pastel, although the spe- cific characteristics of each of these media and their deriva- tives do present some slight differences. Rubbing adds a special dimension to grease- based pastels, whether they are wax or oil, while the ef- fects of blending and rubbing graphite or colored pencils greatly depend on the quality and hardness of the lead. With colored pencil, rubbing can even be done by drawing hatching or over areas of color. That is, the tool that applies the color does the rubbing, while with dry media this is usually done after the line or color is applied, with the fingers or a blending stick. It is possible to draw quick sketches on large sheets of paper with chalk. This way you learn to loosen the wrist Practice will show that it is and gain confidence in your freehand lines using very not always a good idea to use inexpensive materials. Drawing by M. Braunstein. these techniques if you wish to avoid smudging the draw- ing more or less pres- and sanguine crayon), ing. MODELING media's range of tone, color, and gradations. sure to the draw- the tonal ranges can Achromatic or mono- ing tool and observing be increased by using D r y t e c h n i q u e s chromatic tonal ranges the effect on the color white chalk. Color and allow perfect modeling of the support, which tonal ranges are of the forms in the can be created with can be white or any achieved using chalk, representation of the any of the media that are covered in this color. In the case of the dry and oil pastels, subject thanks to the book simply by apply- dry media (charcoal and colored pencils. Applying these ranges using the gradation technique will model the forms, and thus create the impression of three dimensions on the two-dimensional support. Sanguine is useful for mak- ing quick sketches like this one by Oscar Sanchis. In this case, he resolves the drawing using figures and perspective. THE MEDIA AND ever, it is easier to THEIR DERIVATIVES make hatching with the pencil, while the stick is ideal for laying down A work in charcoal color in large areas. can be strengthened The lead of pastel using a compressed pencils is like a hard charcoal stick or a pastel and that of col- charcoal pencil. These ored charcoal pencils is two derivatives of as hard as compressed charcoal have charac- charcoal. They are very teristics that are useful media for intro- somewhat different ducing contrast or for from vine charcoal. making sharp outlines. Compressed charcoal There are so many colors the support products and so many more and it is less varieties of professional voiatile than vine char- and student quality that coal. Charcoal pencil, it is a good idea to sur- on the other hand, be- render to curiosity and Oscar Sanchis used a cause it is oilier, is the technique of drawing make a systematic least volatile of the opaque lines with soft study of them. You charcoal derivatives pastel to create hatching may find it interesting and the one that most and optical color mixes. to evaluate the charac- darkens the support. It teristics of each product is not surprising that DRY TECHNIQUES and to find out which media, the subjective many artists, aware of AND INTERPRETATION media and techniques abstraction can lead to these differences, use will be useful. areas of color or dis- one or more of these torted forms. forms in a single draw- Interpretation is a ing to give it greater part of all works of art. depth and introduce It could be the amount In Field of Wild Poppies M.
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