The Complete Book of Drawing Techniques

102

Part Two – CHARCOAL

CONTE CRAYON

Conte crayons come in oblong sticks and in
a limited number of grades from soft to hard.
The conte crayon is a very traditional
material and is made similarly to compressed
charcoal. It is a finely ground powder that is
mixed with a binder and formed into long
sticks. It is more solid than compressed
charcoal, and this characteristic makes it very
different to charcoal in that it is not as
atmospheric in nature. Conte crayons lend
themselves more easily to mark making and
a technique called frottage.
The marks made with the conte crayon
from 1to 16 are controlled marks that imply
textures. Using marks we can imply surfaces
that are rough, smooth, soft, hard. We can
suggest through mark making the illusion of
wood, metal, string, sponge, and so on.
Once one has found a method of utilising
mark making, the drawings themselves tend
to become a technical process rather than to
do so much with the creative act. However,
as with perspective the results of this type of
drawing can be impressive.

1/ 2Marks that

imply a woven or

knitted surface.

3/ Marks that imply a

wooden surface.

4/ Marks that imply a

carpet or grass.

5/ Marks that imply a

woven pattern (a

candle wick bed

spread).

6/ Marks that imply a

woven pattern

like a straw hat.

7/8/ Rope and

string

implied marks.

9/10/Honey combed

or circle patterns.

11/Marks that imply

the bristle of a

brush.

12/Marks that are

implying a sharp

hard surface.

13/Marks that imply

tufts of grass.

14/Marks that imply

the nature of

leaves.

15/Marks that

imply moving

water.

16/Marks that

imply rippled

water.