Charcoal Defined Charcoal Types Tools Shading Techniques Mark Making Charcoal Defined Charcoal Types Tools Shading Techniques Mark Making

Charcoal is organic materials (like tree sticks) that have been made into carbon/coal (by burning) and then used as a tool to draw with! Great for: Producing Preliminary Sketches Creating Quick Gestural Drawings Rendering Realistic Drawings Using with other Media as Mixed Media Charcoal Defined

PAUL RUMSEY Sisyphus and Rock Charcoal MARIA MELONI Charcoal on grey toned paper

Charcoal Types

Willow and vine charcoals are made from sections of grape vine and willow branches respectively, which have been burnt to a precise degree of hardness. Do’s: Great for sketching out composition and rendering lightest values because it erases more completely… -due to lack of binding agents. Don’ts: Willow and vine charcoals are often very soft and powdery, which makes is hard to render fine, crisp images.

Willow charcoal is a made from natural willow. It is made by cooking the willow wands in a low oxygen environment. Generally willow charcoal is soft to use and the broader sticks are fantastic for fast coverage or large areas, ideal for techniques that rely on wiping out. It is very forgiving to work with as it erases easily but this also means that it does not adhere particularly well to the paper.

Vine charcoal is also a natural charcoal. It is made in the same way as willow. It is harder than willow and slightly more difficult to erase than willow. It makes a fairly grey black. It is much harder to find in art shops than either willow or compressed charcoals.

Compressed charcoal starts out as charred wood dust and other organic materials to which a binder is added. The binder helps to create the darkest, richest, longest lasting values possible. Do’s: Use Compressed charcoal sticks for large, dark areas and quick gestural drawing. Don’ts: Don’t use compressed charcoal carelessly. They make the darkest blacks but because of the binders making them very difficult to erase. The sticks in particular can be incredibly messy to use since the dust will stick and transfer to most things.

Made of the same organic materials as compressed charcoal sticks, charcoal pencils are just incased in wood to help create a tip for more quality control. The amount of binder can be used to regulate hardness. Do’s: Use Compressed charcoal pencils for small details, fully rendered values, and overall control. Don’ts: Don’t use compressed charcoal pencils carelessly. They are also hard to erase because of the binder and can be difficult to erase.

Ground- The surface charcoal is applied to (white or toned) Blending Tools: Tortillian, rolled up paper, tissue, cotton balls, paint brushes Erasers: Gum, White Plastic, Kneaded, Cap, Sticks Sharpeners: Hand Held, X-acto, Sandpaper Fixatives: Final and Workable Charcoal Tools

Additive and Subtractive Processes

Add charcoal to the paper much like pencil…. Use your fingers, tortillian, and erasers to blend. 1. Start with vine charcoal to establish your lightest values. 2. use your pencil charcoal to build up darkest values and details 3. use your compressed charcoal to do large areas such as the back ground *compressed should be LAST because its MESSY!!

Carving into charcoal with an eraser to get brighter areas. 1. Cover the paper EVENLY with VINE/Willow charcoal 2. Rub in charcoal with hand or paper towel 3. Using a cap eraser, carve out an outline of the object (like with a pencil) 4. Using a larger eraser start carving out larger, brighter areas. 5. Using the charcoal pencil and compressed charcoal build up the darker areas… adding any details.

You have already drawn and shaded a pyramided, cone, and sphere with pencil. This has helped develop those fine motor skills! Now lets change medium and use those refined fine motor skills with CHARCOAL! 1. Draw a coffee cup from observation… keep in mind that it is a WHITE cup and you are using black charcoal…keep it light to keep the cup looking white.. 2. Draw a coffee cup from observation… using the subtractive process….

Step one: SUBTRACTIVE PROCESS -Cover paper in Vine Charcoal. -Smear together with paper towel or finger. -Do you see any scratchy lines? -Add more vine and smear even more. -Fingerprints will happen. Ignore for now.

Step 2: Take an eraser and draw your elephant’s main shapes. -The more close-up the photo, the fewer lines you will have. (Seen here) -If you see more of the animal, you will probably need more guide lines. -If you mess up, you smear it right back together, no biggie!! -Step back 3 feet (optimum viewing distance) and see if it looks correct. -Ask a neighbor too!

Step 3: Squint your eyes and look for largest, brightest areas and erase them. -Let your shadows fade and blend into the vine charcoal.

Step 4: Add compressed charcoal. -Look for the darkest areas and begin to layer. -Squinting really helps separate what your normal eye might ignore! Get Squinty! If we all look ridiculous, who cares? -Your drawing is still in the early stages and won’t look like much. Give it time. Don’t judge it too harshly until you’re at LEAST an hour into it.

Step 4: Smear your compressed charcoal. Step 5: Begin moving between erasing highlights and adding more shadows. -You need to make the foreground POP forward and background sink back. How does value make that happen in your picture? -Look at the (photo of the) neck. To the average person in the hall, the neck looks black. To the trained eye, there are subtle value changes. SHOW THEM. It takes time and concentration. GOOD LUCK! -This picture is about 50% finished. Details need to be added with charcoal pencil, plus more overall development.

Student work done over a 3 day period.

More student work…