Chapter 1 – Introduction to Drawing With Charcoal
Drawing With Charcoal is a comprehensive guide to the art of charcoal drawing. This book covers the basics of charcoal as a medium and its useful techniques. From tonal variation to blending and shading techniques, this book teaches how to achieve your desired effect. With common tools such as vine charcoal, compressed charcoal, and charcoal pencils, you will learn to create detailed and strong finished works. The chapter introduces perspective drawing and what it takes to create freehand gesture drawings. This is an essential skill for creating lifelike images on paper.
For example, the chapter explains how to create a basic charcoal sketch of a still life. Having a few simple objects to work with, such as a few pieces of fruit, a jar and an object on the table, the artist can begin by blocking in the sketch with vine charcoal and a smudge stick. To differentiate the highlights and shadows, compressed charcoal and various blending techniques are used to create depth and texture. Once the sketch is complete, the artist can add layers and details with charcoal pencils, creating reflections, texture, and shape.
Chapter 2 – Exercises and Problems
This chapter focuses on the concept of practice and problem solving. Drawing from a variety of reference images, you will learn to experiment with contour drawing, shading, gradients, and tonal range. Afterwards, you can apply these techniques to sketches of landscapes, still life, and people. Various charcoal exercises are included, such as starting with basic sketching, then moving on to more detailed shading and highlights. The goal is to improve anatomy, composition and perspective.
For example, taking a portrait painting as an exercise, the artist creates a basic sketch of the face and body proportions with vine charcoal. Using compressed charcoal, the shadows and texture of the face are gradually developed, paying special attention to the highlights and contours. The artist can also practice creating facial features such as the eyes, nose, and mouth, by varying the pressure on the charcoal pencils and blending the lines. Taking their time with each section, the artist can continue to add layers and details that will eventually create a portrait full of dimension and realism.
Chapter 3 – Materials and Techniques
This chapter covers the best materials to use when working with charcoal. It begins with an overview of the different types of charcoal and how to use them to your advantage. This includes understanding how vine charcoal functions differently than compressed charcoal or charcoal pencils, as well as their unique application techniques. Blending and shading techniques are discussed, such as scumbling and hatching. Rules to useful composition and perspective drawing are also covered in this chapter.
For example, understanding the subtle difference between the materials is key when drawing with charcoal. Soft vine charcoal is used to make an initial sketch, while compressed charcoal will create stronger lines that can be blended for shadows. Overall, each medium has its own unique properties that can be used in combination to create a variety of textures and effects. For instance, when creating a still life of an apple, the artist can first use vine charcoal to quickly block in the silhouette, then focus on the details with compressed charcoal. Once the shape has been established, a charcoal pencil can be used to make precise lines and accentuate the contours.
