DEMO 3
LONG GRASS
IN WILLOW
CHARCOAL
A marshy field provided the
opportunity to suggest depth through
the diminishing scale and detail in
the receding clumps of grass, as well
as texture in the upward tapering
character of the grass itself. As I
drew, I tried to recall the feel of the
grass in my hand as I walked through
the field, translating the haptic
experience of its firm stem and sharp
points alongside its appearance.1
Using the broad edge of a snapped
piece of willow charcoal held
vertically I energetically dashed
downward marks onto the page,
particularly concentrated in areas
of dark tone. I deliberately held the
charcoal in a grip that allowed my
fingertips to smudge marks as they
were made.2
To soften the texture of the
charcoal marks, I gently swept
the blade of my hand over the page
in the direction of the original strokes,
softening the distant areas of the field
more than the foreground.3
After cutting a plastic eraser in
two, I used the broad, sharp edge
to draw light back into the easily-
erased willow charcoal. I used varied
marks in the foreground and more
uniform blocks of dashed marks
in the receding grass.
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