Coal soft, plastic , gives matt , velvety black tone , but requires fixing - fixation .

Simple coal as a drawing material has been used by artists since ancient times. Uncomplicated in cooking technique, coal has a large tonal range, easy to use, easy to erase, irreplaceable when performing large drawings, it is convenient to use it in sketch works and fluent sketches. You can draw with plain charcoal on paper, cardboard, canvas, and other materials suitable for drawing.

Coal making

Charcoal for drawing is prepared from dried willow or euonymus rods peeled from bark by firing without air access. For firing, crucibles are used, in which the rods are vertically laid. The crucibles are closed with lids and coated with clay for tightness. Firing is carried out at a temperature of 300 ° C for 3-5 hours. The end of rods firing is determined by the bluish haze of carbon dioxide coming out through the control hole in the lid.

Charcoal for drawing can be made by yourself, using a high can for roasting the rods, in which the rods are placed vertically and covered with dry sand to reduce the volume of air in the can and 6 olee uniform roasting. The jar is closed with a lid, coated with clay and the end of firing is determined by the emitted carbon dioxide gas. The firing process takes continuously 3 - 5 hours. After firing, the jar should cool for a day.
If the charcoal is not completely burnt, then it will leave a faint gray mark on the paper, moreover, the slightly burnt coal will scratch the paper.
Drawing charcoal has a warm black color, easily fits on canvas, paper, cardboard. It is shaded from black to light gray.

Charcoal drawing

Coal as a drawing material has been used by artists since ancient times. Drawing charcoal has great expressive capabilities; it can be used for landscape, portrait, still life and subject composition.

The study of drawing with charcoal is of tremendous importance, and it is imperative to pay attention to it, especially since in its technique it most of all bears a resemblance to painting.

Drawing with charcoal is quick to execute compared to other methods, because charcoal is easily amenable to all kinds of changes. In general, this is an extremely malleable and grateful material that makes it possible to achieve significant effects. The study of drawing with charcoal is not very difficult; the material required by the artist is very simple and cheap.

With charcoal, you can draw both the thinnest lines and the widest, you can quickly shade large surfaces with the side. Charcoal produces deep, velvety blacks and a wide range of tonal transitions. Coal, like pencils, has different hardness. Charcoal is repaired in the same way as a pencil. The finished drawings in this way achieve a complete impression of nature. Despite the fact that drawing with charcoal is of one color, the drawing can be brought to the point that it will feel colors in it, although in fact there are none. There are many pieces famous artists executed in this way. They can perform quick sketches, sketches and lengthy drawings. It is very easy to use and easy to wash. Charcoal clearly reveals the shape of the object, makes it possible to convey light and shadow.

You can paint with charcoal on paper, cardboard, canvas, wall, and other surfaces suitable for drawing. It is better to use rough paper, you can also use thick drawing paper, which should be lightly wiped with fine sandpaper or gray wrapping paper. Interesting charcoal drawings are obtained on a colored background of soft tones.

Drawing embers should be different in size and shape. To draw thin lines, the coal is sharpened obliquely, since the middle part ( core) of coals prepared from twigs is looser. When working on canvas, the charcoal sharpens itself.

It is allowed to combine coal with other materials - with sanguine, chalk, pastel, colored pencils, watercolors, special charcoal pencil " Retouch».

You can work with charcoal in two ways: with a regular lead pencil, using lines and strokes, and using tonal shading. You can rub the charcoal with a cloth, hand or special shading, which is made of suede, kid leather or thick paper and is a tightly rolled roller with pointed ends. Do not use an elastic band for this, as after it the charcoal falls unevenly.

You can lighten the tone by brushing off excess charcoal with a cloth or bristle brush. It is recommended to walk along the illuminated places of the form with a soft roll or work them out with chalk. Charcoal drawings should be secured. You can use a special fixative or hairspray for this. Fix by spraying varnish gradually, in several steps, from a distance of about one meter, avoiding the formation of drops. Keep in mind that even the most careful fixation will darken the pattern.

When working with coal, use a roughgrained paper , it is possible and a dense drawing, slightly rubbed with fine emery or a hard rubber band. For charcoal drawings, you can use the so-called tipping paper.

To make long-term drawings, the paper must be glued to a drawing board or thick cardboard.

In the Middle Ages, artists used primed paper ( coated with a mixture of colored powder, chalk and glue).

You can work with coal in two ways:

• The first is close to working with a pencil, when they draw mainly with a line, a stroke. You first draw the outline of the subject, and then start shading, in exactly the same way and in the same sequence as you did when drawing with a pencil. We do not recommend, however, to use this technique, since it excludes the most valuable and characteristic feature of the technique of drawing with charcoal - the similarity with the painting technique.
• The second method involves more use of tone. With this method, they draw, laying widely the shadows and the background, for which the charcoal is laid flat on the paper. First of all quickly and in general outline sketch out the outline of the subject. When sketching a drawing, it is most convenient to hold the coal as shown in the figure, that is, you should not hold it the way you hold a pencil or pen, but with three fingers at the end of the coal, turning your palm up. Then put the charcoal flat on the paper, as the picture shows, and rub all the shadow areas in the total mass, pressing a little harder in darker areas and weakening the pressure in lighter ones. Having done this operation, you arm yourself with a nag or crumb of bread crumpled between your fingers, which serve to paint with light and generally to remove charcoal in dark places, as well as shading, which is used to obtain halftones. Take bread for paintinglight and does not contain oil, the presence of which can spoil the drawing. Taking part of the crumb, they begin to roll it between the fingers until it turns into a homogeneous doughy mass. Then they give one end a sharp shape and, taking the crumb, as shown in the figure, remove the charcoal with the end in those places that need to be illuminated.In addition to the crumb used to remove charcoal, there is a particularly soft gum "nag"; with great success it can replace the crumb of bread, which dries quickly, especially ifyou have to work in the air; the nag will always be soft and flexible. When working, it should be kneaded in the hands, just like bread.

In the process of work, they also use various blending stubs, leather and paper, which are tightly twisted rollers with pointed ends. Stubs are made of suede, kid leather and thick paper.

Suede shading is softer. How to hold the shading and use it while working can be seen in the figure. Instead of shading, you can use just your finger to get halftones: rubbing the charcoal with your finger, you will get lovely halftones of a wide variety of shades; with a finger, you can soften too harsh or, as the artists say, "flashy" light spots.

So, using alternately a nag, shading and charcoal, you correct the defects of the contour and shadows, from the general go to the finer details and bring the drawing to full completeness.

You can also do this: when the drawing is drawn in rather detail, it is rubbed with the edge of the palm, then they draw again, choosing the illuminated places of the form with a soft roll ( gum is best avoided, after it the charcoal falls unevenly). To draw thin lines, the coal is sharpened obliquely to the edge, since the middle part ( core) of coals prepared from twigs is looser. When working on canvas, there is no need to sharpen coal, it sharpens itself. For convenience, the charcoal can be inserted into the drawing pen holder.

The figures clearly show the entire course of work described above. Illustration a shows you how to start drawing. You can see on it only the most general outline of the jug. On the image b the total mass of shadows is laid flat with coal. Illustration v shows to what degree of completeness the work should be finished.

It is clear that at first, until you master the material, charcoal sketches will not completely satisfy you. It will be difficult to use the crumb of bread, and the use of shading or a finger, and various features of coal; you will be timid and insecure with materials; the drawings will lack softness; they will be, as they say, "dried up."

The inconveniences of working with coal lie mainly in the fact that you have to handle the drawing very carefully, since the coal is easily blown away by the wind, crumbles from a slight shock or is erased from the touch of a hand. But these properties have their own advantages; so you can easily knock off a sketch that you don't like or spoil on paper or canvas with a cloth without leaving a trace and without damaging the foundations, and then, having removed it, start drawing again on the same paper. The colors of the paper should be varied as much as possible. It is advisable to make the size of the studies larger.

Drawn old Russian household items. Despite the small decorations encountered, draw this group just like the previous ones, that is, first of all, sketch out the contour, then cover the general tone of the drawing with shadows with flat charcoal, then separate the darker areas from the light ones, take out the "light" with a nag or crumb of bread, and finally draw all the details and decorations with a thin coal nature.

Still life

A group made up of household items: glass jug, wooden cup, spoon and tablecloth. This task, in contrast to the previous ones, was performed with the so-called "pressed" charcoal and Italian pencil. Draw with pressed charcoal in the same way as with a simple soft pencil. It is not as easily erased as ordinary coal, and therefore, when drawing, they need to be more careful than with ordinary coal. Pressed coal is also available on the market in several numbers of different hardness. You can draw the outlines of objects with ordinary charcoal, and when starting to transfer light and shadow, enter pressed, for the final finishing, use an Italian pencil. Remember to keep an eye on the shape and attitude of the spots at all times.

Plaster head of a wolf.

Coal is indispensable for sketching animals and birds from nature, as well as from plaster models and from stuffed animals. The speed and accuracy of the transfer of both light and shadow, and the character of feathers and wool can hardly be achieved with a pencil to the same extent as with charcoal, and especially if you have to draw a lively restless nature from the animal kingdom. Our illustration shows you how to get started. First, sketch out the general form, then erase the shadow part and, finally, gradually moving from the general to the particulars, bring the work to completion, as shown in the second figure.

Since the finished charcoal drawings are also fragile, they resort to fixing to preserve them.

Coal fixation

So that the finished drawing does not crumble, it is fixed. You can fix it with liquid glue, milk, lemonade. Contemporary artists aerosol hairspray is also used. It is very easy to use, but its technology has not been sufficiently researched. It is necessary to fix it carefully, in several steps from a distance of one meter. Make sure that large drops do not fall on the drawing, which should be in a horizontal position.I must say that a simple drawing charcoal weakly adheres to the paper, and if the drawing is not fixed in time, it will be difficult to preserve it. Coal fixing was invented in Italy in the 15th century. Then they drew on paper already covered with a layer of glue, and when the drawing was ready, it was exposed to water vapor and thus fixed. Sometimes the drawing was placed in a bath of glue solution. A fixative varnish is currently on sale. Charcoal drawings can also be fixed with liquid glue, skimmed milk, strained and diluted with water, a solution of rosin in gasoline or denatured alcohol ( 3/4 cup rosin and walnut).

They are fixed with a spray gun gradually, in several steps, from a distance of no closer than one meter, avoiding the formation of drops. It should be borne in mind that even the most careful fixation makes the drawing darker.

Compressed (fat) coal

In the nineteenth century, fat coal (coal impregnated vegetable oil, it has a darker tone) and pressed charcoal. They adhere somewhat better to paper, but also require fixing. Pressed charcoal is blacker and fatter charcoal, is prepared from coal powder of the blackest grades using vegetable glue as a binder; it is sold in the form of round sticks, sometimes in wood in the form of a pencil, usually of three hardness numbers.

Charcoal can be combined with other materials - sanguine, chalk, pastel, colored pencils, watercolors, specialcharcoal pencil "retouch" .

How to make charcoal yourself

To prepare the coals for drawing, you need to take several straight branches of birch, a pencil thick and 8-10 cm long. Peel them from the bark, tie them in small bunches and put them in a metal box filled to the top with dry fine sand. Close the box with a lid, cover with clay and put in the oven. When the fire burns out, remove the box, cool, and the coals are ready.

Charcoal drawing, master class

It is not known for certain who and when was the first to pick up coal from an extinct fire and start drawing. Probably, this happened at the very beginning of the birth of mankind. Despite its long history, coal has not lost its popularity to this day.

Coal is very easy to make. A bunch of willow, birch or walnut twigs was coated with clay and laid on a burning coal. This is how they prepared coals of various shapes - round, faceted. They were made of different lengths and thicknesses, because the drawings were both large and small.

Today, of course, there is no need to produce coal yourself. You can buy ready-made charcoal for drawing.

Types of coals for drawing

There are two types of drawing charcoal: regular charcoal and pressed... Pressed is blacker and fatter than woody. It is made from coal powder (while using the blackest varieties), using vegetable glue as a binder. Pressed charcoal is sold in the form of sticks, they come in three hardness numbers.

Pressed charcoal, like charcoal, requires fixing. It holds up a little better on paper though.

Charcoal drawing paper

When working with coal, you need to use rough paper, it crumbles from a perfectly smooth surface. You can use pastel paper or charcoal paper. An interesting pictorial effect can be obtained using watercolor paper - eggshells, canvas, linen. You can also use a dense drawing, after rubbing it with fine emery or a hard rubber band. Interesting work can also be done using tinted paper, white chalk or pastels can be used to create highlights on it.

For work, the paper is fixed on the tablet, having previously moistened it with water. After drying, the paper will stretch evenly, and it will be convenient to work on it.

Charcoal drawing techniques

When working with coal, two methods are used.

The first way- drawing mainly with a line, stroke. This method is similar to working with a pencil. Coal makes it possible to obtain lines of various colors and thicknesses. To draw sufficiently thin lines, the charcoal is sharpened obliquely to the edge with sandpaper. It is impossible to sharpen it like a pencil: the middle part of the twigs is very loose and breaks easily.

Second way consists in a large application of tone, wide padding of shadows and backgrounds. To do this, the charcoal is laid flat on the paper, which makes it possible to easily cover large surfaces. Or, having drawn the drawing in some detail, rub it with the edge of the palm. Then they paint again, highlighting the most illuminated places.

When drawing with charcoal, various stamps are used, making them from suede, paper, thin leather. Stubs are tight bolsters with pointed tips, which make it possible to highlight very small surfaces. A tough elastic band with a pointed end can also be used as a stump. If you need to shade a large enough surface, you can use cotton pads. A beneficial effect is given by the use of formoplast: soft mass, which allows you to reduce the tonality of the picture.

The combination of line and tone makes it possible to convey rounded and smooth shapes. This method is often used by artists to depict a female figure.

Coal is an excellent material for drawing, it is also indispensable for drawing on canvas for painting. It perfectly helps to convey volume, makes it possible to obtain smooth transitions from one key to another, from the blackest color to the lightest gentle gray. Charcoal goes well with other materials - chalk and pastels, sanguine, colored pencils and pastels, a special retouching charcoal pencil. Excellent portraits are obtained on tinted paper, executed in charcoal, sanguine and chalk.

How to learn to paint with charcoal

It is better to start learning to work with coal with small sketches, sketches. It is best to use fairly large and simple objects as a model, with a small amount of small details. It is better to use large enough paper (for example, A3). The initial drawing should be done simple pencil... And to perform more complex work, a sketch is first made, which is then transferred to paper.

A few words about saving the finished painting

Coal crumbles easily, therefore after finishing work, it must be fixed... By the way, the first coal fixation was invented in the 15th century in Italy. For work, paper was used, on which a layer of glue was previously applied. After finishing the work, the drawing was exposed to hot vapors.

This is much easier now. For fixation, use a special fixative varnish. You can also use regular hairspray.

Professional artists use a hand-made fixative: skim milk, half diluted with water. Such a fixative has almost no effect on the color of the picture, and sets the charcoal well.

The finished work is neatly and evenly covered with a fixative using an aerosol. This procedure must be done carefully, in several stages. The distance to work must be at least one meter, care must be taken not to form drops. Usually, after treatment with a fixative, the picture becomes darker.

Works painted in charcoal best preserved under glass... Therefore, the finished work is framed.

A well-chosen frame with non-reflective glass and, of course, a mat helps to create a presentable look for charcoal drawings.

The figure above shows an example of a finished work design.

Municipal autonomous educational institution

Kindergarten No. 79 "Guselki" of the city district of Togliatti

"Drawing with charcoal"

Summary of GCD in the senior group

(using ICT)

Compiled by:

Educator

Perevozchikova Evgeniya Vladimirovna

Togliatti 2012

Annotation:

This synopsis directly educational activities on artistic creation in the senior group "Drawing with charcoal". Introducing children to an unconventional way of drawing.

The Artist comes to the children and invites them to visit the art workshop. During the lesson, children become friends of the artist, for the time of the GCD, badges with a picture of the hero are attached to them.

GCD takes place using ICT.

Target: Teaching children non-traditional techniques for drawing with charcoal.

Tasks:

Learning tasks:

• Introduce an unconventional drawing material - charcoal;
• Teach children to create their own drawing plot using stencils;
• Expand children's knowledge of charcoal painters.

Developmental tasks:

• Develop basic coal handling skills;
• Develop independence, aesthetic feelings and emotions, a sense of composition;
• Develop sensory skills - hand-eye coordination when drawing, fine motor skills fingers;

Educational tasks:

• To bring up a sense of beauty in children through the fine arts;
• Raise an interest in reflecting your impressions in visual activities;
• Cultivate accuracy when working with coal.

Methodical techniques:

• Game (use of surprise moments).
• Visual (use of illustration).
• Verbal (reminder, instruction, questions, individual responses of children).

Equipment: magnetic board, computer, projector.

Demo material:

• a picture of the Artist,
• presentation on the topic(Appendix 2),
• emoticons are sad and funny.

Handout:sheets of thick paper A4 format, charcoal,

Plain pencils, paper napkins,

Wet wipes, stencils, sheets of paper 10 * 10

For trial drawing with charcoal.

The course of the lesson.

Introductory part.

Educator:

Hello guys!

Today, on the way to kindergarten, I met the Artist.

He lives in the tale of Dunno. And he invites you to become his friends:

Dunno, Znayka, Astrologer, Fly, Camomile, Star, etc.

(children choose badges with pictures of heroes, attach

On clothes).

- I now know how to contact you.

And what does the Artist do?

Children: draws.

Educator:

- Artists do not paint, they paint their pictures. Every artist has

Own art workshop. Do you want to visit the workshop

Our artist?

Children: yes.

Educator:

Then close your eyes:

One, two, three, four, five

Workshop welcome our guys!

Main part.

Slide 1. Art workshop

Educator:

Open your eyes, we are in an art workshop.

Look, what is not there, and paint, and pencils, and brushes,

And painted pictures.

The Artist has such a beautiful chest, it contains the necessary

For his work, subjects. But he asks not to open it right away,

And try to guess the riddles of what is there. Listen ...

I'll draw a portrait of mom
Still life or landscape
Wooden thin long
I am a wizard .... (pencil)

I will give you a hint - I paint
Friends without modesty
I am brighter than a pencil
Very juicy ... (gouache)

I will apply a delicate pattern
Rime thin snow-white,
Greening April -
Everyone knows ... (watercolor)

I'll write an ad
And a greeting card.
Draw posters master
Because I ... (felt-tip pen)

Educator:

Guys, what are these items for?

Children:

- They are needed in order to draw.
Educator:

There is one more item left in the box for the guys. And there are no more mysteries.

Let's see what is it?
(The teacher takes out a box of charcoal and shows the children)
Educator:

Guys, it's coal. Charcoal is a soft drawing material.

Slide 2. Burning branches

Educator:

Coal is made by firing thin branches of wood in a kiln.

Coal has been used by artists since ancient times. Coal

You can paint landscapes, portraits, still lifes, make sketches

And sketches.

Slide 3. Ilya Efimovich Repin "Portrait of Eleanor Duse".

Educator:

Great artists painted with charcoal.

Pay attention to a painting by a famous artist

Repin Ilya Efimovich "Portrait of Eleanor Duse".

Slide 3. Mikhail Aleksandrovich Vrubel "After the concert".

Educator:

- Here is another picture called "After the Concert".

The artist, when he wrote it, already saw almost nothing.

Slide 4. Ivan Ivanovich Shishkin "Overgrown Pond"
Educator:

And this is "Overgrown Pond" by Ivan Ivanovich Shishkin.

The painting is done with charcoal and chalk.

Slide 5. Isaac Levitan “Village. Early spring"

Educator:

- Here is another landscape, Isaac Levitan's “Village. Early spring"

Slide 6. Drawings of children.

Educator:

And these are the drawings of the guys I work with.

They really like to paint with charcoal.

Do you want to learn how to draw with charcoal?

Children:

Yes.

Educator:

In order for the pens to obey us, we need to make a small finger

Gymnastics "Two centipedes":

Two centipedes were running down the path

(two palms next to each other wiggle their fingers)

They ran - they ran

We met each other.

(two palms froze)

So they hugged each other,

So they hugged each other,

So they hugged each other,

(fingers left and right hand hug each other)

That we barely separated them.

(hands in the castle are disconnected)

Educator:

Fingers warmed up, you can get to work.

Coal is fragile and very dirty, you need to be extremely careful,

So as not to stain your work.

You have square sheets on your tables, move them towards you.

Drawn on it geometric figure pencil.

This is a test drawing, try to trace along the pencil lines with charcoal.

Hold the charcoal in your hand like a regular pencil. When pressed firmly

It turns out a bold line, if you press lightly, then the line will be

Barely noticeable. It turned out to be a square.

To paint over, you need to take a napkin, crumple it and shade it.

Or rub the resulting lines differently.

(the teacher demonstrates drawing techniques on sheet A3, attached to the easel, children follow the teacher on sheet 10 * 10)

Educator:

Do you understand the technique of drawing with charcoal? Then move the landscape

Paper. In order to paint an interesting picture,

We will create a plot using stencils.

Progress:

1. We outline the stencils with a simple pencil;
2. Outline the pencil lines with charcoal;
3. We finish drawing small details;
4. Shading

(children draw, the teacher monitors the work, helps in choosing a plot, in mastering the skills of working with new material - coal)

Educator:

Now we will complete your work and put them in frames.

(gluing previously prepared frames)

(children's works are presented in Appendix 1)

Educator:

- Take your work in hand, show each other.

Did you enjoy studying in an art workshop?

It's time for us to go back to kindergarten. Close your eyes.

One, two, three, return all the children to the kindergarten!

Summing up the GCD:

Educator:

Guys, where were we today?

Children:

- In an art workshop.

Educator:

- Who invited us there?

Children:

Artist.

Educator:

What did we do there?

Children:

They painted with charcoal.

Educator:

Did you like it, was it difficult or easy?

You have sad and funny emoticons on your tables.

Show what mood you are from the work done.

(children show emoticons)

Educator:

I really enjoyed studying with you.

Do you want to know my mood?

Slide 7. Cheerful emoticon.

Educator:

You can take your paintings, take them home.

And, of course, take emoticons. This is my gift to you.

Goodbye!

Bibliography:

1. http://www.art911.ru Graphics Lessons. Drawing lessons with a pencil, charcoal, paints.
2. A. V. Nikitina Unconventional techniques drawing in kindergarten.
3. NOT. Veraksa, T.S.Komarova, M.A. Vasilieva FROM BIRTH TO SCHOOL. The main general educational program of preschool education.

Annex 1

Children's works.

Whatever the reason for its popularity (and there are many), there are certain charcoal painting techniques used by many artists every day. In this article, I will walk through the most important aspects and show you a few tricks to help you. Watch the video below and then follow to your success.

You can use any kind of coal for these techniques. Just go to your local art store and they will help you (see point 09 for different types of coal). If this article inspires you to explore the topic on your own, why not head over to Schoolism.com for courses, workshops, and more. It's just a great way to learn new things with the professionals.

1. Make the main thing the main

The main thing is to keep the main thing as the main thing. Speaking as an artist, the main thing is called essence. This is just as important when drawing with charcoal as it is with any other technique. What your drawing is about and what you want to say by this is the main thing when creating it. Once you settle on the "main idea" or essence, everything that you do from that moment, every movement and every detail that you put in or choose to take away should act to reinforce that aspect.

2. Understand the value of contrast

The word contrast is used all over the place in art and seems to be a little confusing. Contrast is a simple transition from white to black (light to dark) on a scale of 1 to 10. 1 is White color sheet, and 10 is black. Thus, 5 is 50% or "semitone", gray, something in between white and black. Any drawing consists of contrasts (shadow and light), regardless of color.

To help you with this, I suggest working from the middle to the edge. Keep your darkest color dark (shadows), no darker than 6 or 7 on the contrast scale; and the lightest (light and everything in the light) is 3 or 4. Move towards dark (accents) and light (highlights).

Imagine accents and highlights are twins living in different neighborhoods. They are not the most important element of your drawing. But they are important in general.

3. Use a hierarchy of contrast

There is no doubt that a successful drawing reads quickly and emotionally. Using contrast or tone, highlighting different areas of a drawing with charcoal can be very helpful when drawing.

The illustration above, based on a photograph by Josiah Byes, uses dark contrasts. Notice the light on his cheek and the shadow on the rest of the body.

Using contrast hierarchies allows the viewer to see what they need first. In this picture, Steve is smoking his pipe. Everything else becomes less important. He is the essence of the drawing.

4. Squint your eyes

Sometimes 100% vision doesn't help. When we observe what we draw, it passes through our eyes a large number of information. And from this, the drawing is filled with many extraneous details that worsen the effect of the image. The goal is to edit and simplify.

Squinting blurs the big picture and we see a simplified version of the whole picture, clearly noticing all the simple shapes. Reproducing these simple shapes helps in creating the essence of the entire drawing.

5. Examine thick and thin lines

Applying thick and thin lines - interesting idea and it's funny how many artists don't use this useful technique in their work. If each line has the same width and is drawn with the same pressure, the charcoal drawing looks like a regular coloring, which makes it boring. The use of thin and thick lines enlivens the image.

So how will you apply this technique and what do you need to know? The general rule of thumb is that the top lines of objects are thinner because the light falls on them, and the bottom lines can be thicker due to shadows. It's all. And it's very simple. Look at the smooth lines and their thickness in the drawing of the dog from above. Now you know.

6. Use an eraser

The cool thing about coal is that it can be easily controlled. You can move it without any problem. Once you paint something with charcoal, you can remove it or erase it where you don't need it. In the picture above, the erased portion shows where the light hits the subject's head.

7. Purchase a set of tools

Usually artists have a whole bunch of tools, and charcoal drawing tools look cool. The picture above shows some of them: a very small eraser that erases with a thin line; a nag eraser that you can knead and crush; and a hardcore eraser pen for tough, heavy erasing jobs.

Using charcoal or pastels requires us to apply them, and there are many ways to accomplish this. Your finger is most obvious, but it may leave streaks or be too small. Wipe Webril wipes are a great option when working with charcoal.

8. Put on the glove

Did you know that oils and fats on our hands can ruin the cleanliness of paper? Oils can soak into the paper and repel the charcoal. To solve this problem, use a glove or place another sheet of paper under your arm to protect your work.

9. Try charcoal pencils

Coal can be different types, from pencils and sticks to large pieces. The choice is yours. The photo above shows three examples. charcoal pencils... Be aware that they can create grime, so spray your drawing with charcoal fixative after using them to keep it safe.

10. Keep improving

Remember that drawing is difficult and can be tiring at times. Dont be upset. Art is extremely difficult and it can take a while to feel happy about it.

Learning and development always go together. Find contact with artists you admire. Be humble and ask them for advice about your work. Ask about your weaknesses, how to start, and what to focus on. Ask to be honest. These are good questions.

We all have moments when we feel unhappy. Even now I feel doubts, and sometimes inspiration overwhelms me. So carry on with your business, spread your wings and catch the wind.