42 artistMay 2020 http://www.painters-online.co.ukDRAWING MATERIALS
V
isit any decent art shop and
you’ll notice a huge array of
drawing media on offer. With so
much to choose from it can be
quite daunting to know where to begin,
and it is tempting to choose items
because you like the look of them.
However, will the media you’re thinking
about buying be suitable for you, and
how will you know? Well, I’m hoping to
help fathom that for you so, read on!Graphite sticks and blocks
A great favourite are graphite sticks,
blocks and solid graphite woodless
pencils such as Koh-I-Noor Jumbo
Progresso. They feel really good in the
hand and allow plenty of freedom when
drawing, especially large-scale drawing,
as you don’t have to keep stopping to
sharpen them. The first thing I do with
any new graphite stick is to snap it into
different lengths and peel off all the
protective wrapping so that I can use
the pieces on their sides like a pastel,
as well as the points.
Available in soft grades HB, 2B, 4B, 6B,
8B, I choose the softest – I like the deep
black lines they create; when I require
lighter marks I use less pressure. Tints
and wash effects can be created withExpress yourself with
drawing media
Robert Dutton takes the bewilderment out of choosing drawing media,
highlighting his personal favourites and sharing his top tips for using them
creatively
u Wallace Seymour Liquid Graphite
Particles of liquid graphite are suspended in a water-
soluble fluid within each 250ml jar. A little goes a long
way. The media in the jars is quite thick but by mixing
well, spooning some out into a separate container,
mixing well again with water, you have a wonderful liquid
graphite you can paint with that is permanent when dry.
The tints you can create with this product are unique
and beautiful. The available colours work exceptionally
well together and with other drawing media too. They
are exciting to use and perfect for expressive painting
techniques – I’ve used them since they first came onto the
market in 2010. Here you can see the tinted wash effects
that can be created with this productp Ancient Hawthorns – Honister Pass, The Lake District, mixed-media drawing with Wallace
Seymour Liquid Graphite on Canson Moulin du Roy Not 140lb (300gsm), 20 3 22in (51 3 56cm).
Liquid graphite is an exciting media to use for creating wash-like effects with your drawings.
Diluted with water, very effective and beautiful tints can be layered to darken tones. This was
created en plein air