The Complete Book of Drawing Techniques

(Darren Dugan) #1

84


WILLOW CHARCOAL


Willow charcoal or vine charcoal is a very
fluid drawing medium and is much freer and
more open in its application than pencil. It
also lends itself to larger, broader drawing
than the type of graphic drawings one
associates with pencil. Examples of marks
made by the willow charcoal are as follows.


1/A diagonal line that moves from light to
dark. Charcoal is very useful for making tonal
changes very quickly.


2/A tonal recession from light to dark that
has been smoothed out by smudging the
charcoal with the finger. Then lightly rubbed
with an eraser.


3/ Here the side of the charcoal has been
dragged across the surface of the paper to
create a textural tonal gradation.


4/ Here we have a heavy strong line
produced by placing a lot of pressure on the
charcoal whilst making the line.

5/Is the opposite of 4. This is a very fine line
produced using very light pressure.

6/ Here we have a heavy dark thick line
moving to a lighter thin line produced by
changing the pressure whilst in the process
of making the line.

7/A tight cutting type of line produced by
dragging the side of the charcoal across the
paper.

8/An open zigzagging line is produced in the
same way as number 7, but this time one
uses a pushing and pulling motion to create
the line.

9/Here we have a similar zigzagging line as
number 8 - made in the same way but it’s a
more compressed zigzag.

Materials and examples of marks


1.
Free download pdf