Sketch Book for the Artist

EARTH

AND

THE

ELEMENTS

Charcoal

CHARCOAL IS PRODUCED from wood baked

slowly without exposure to air, so it chars

black as opposed to igniting and turning

to ash. Willow is the most common wood.

Artists have also used lime, beech, maple,

vine, and plum. Bundles of twigs were

traditionally sealed into earthenware jars

or wet clay and heated slowly and intensely

in a fire or kiln.

Charcoal lifts away from paper easily with

the very light touch of an eraser, a piece of

fresh bread, the heel of your hand, a rag,

feather, or fingertip. Lines are achieved by

depositing particles in the grain of paper.

Smooth paper accepts few particles, resulting

in a pale line. Rough paper can be loaded,

and offers a rich, black finish.

Charcoal naturally glistens. It can be

made duller, blacker, and more indelible

by soaking it in linseed oil. Alternatively, you

can purchase machine-made compressed

charcoal. As its name implies, it is compressed

and molded at high pressure, resulting in

a stick that gives a blacker, harder line. It

does not erase easily, leaving undertraces

of first thoughts.

RANGE AVAILABLE

Charcoal (in its several forms shown here) is loved or loathed

by the beginner to whom it is often recommended because it

produces pleasing results quickly. It is also easily erased if the

maker of the mark is not happy with the result.

1. THIN WILLOW CHARCOAL: I used
   a piece like this to make the drawing
   opposite. The tip snaps easily to renew
   a sharp edge if required.


2. MEDIUM WILLOW CHARCOAL:
   The same as above, only a little thicker.
   Boxes often contain a range of thicknesses
   to choose for different needs.


3. THICK WILLOW CHARCOAL:
   Big pieces are perfect for very large-scale
   drawings—even larger than yourself. Try
   it working on big paper covering a wall.


4. CHARCOAL PENCIL: Types made by
   different manufacturers vary in quality and
   density of line. Essentially, they are all
   intended for fine work.


5. COMPRESSED CHARCOAL:
   Machine-made, cylindrical, blacker, and
   heavier than willow. Not to be confused
   with square conte sticks (see p. 162) or
   graphite (see p.54).


6. CHALK CHARCOAL: Technically, this
   does not exist. Beware of cheap brands
   selling dyed chalk as compressed charcoal.
   In use, it looks gray and feels like chalk.


7. SQUARE COMPRESSED CHARCOAL:
   Not often sold, but some specialists stock
   compressed charcoal in delicate square
   sticks. A great find when available.

LIFTING OUT

This technique is a very easy

method of drawing a crisp,

fine, white line into the black-

or grayness of willow charcoal.

It allows you greater precision

in your mark-making than if

you rub away the charcoal

with an eraser.

1

Suspend a length of masking

tape, sticky side down,

between your middle finger and

thumb. Hold it over your drawing

without touching the surface.

2

Keep the tape above your

drawing. Use any fine-point

pen or pencil (I used a ballpoint) to

draw a firm line on the back of the

tape. Then lift it away.

3

A white line is lifted out

by the tape. Slightly dull the

tape's stickiness before use to

prevent it from lifting out more

than you intend.