I have recently had the opportunity to
explore charcoal. All I can say is that it is one of the most beautiful mediums
to work in. There are different types of charcoal and its important to
understand which type to use to get the right effect you want. Vine charcoal is
a very soft charcoal and it sits on the paper, you can move it about the paper
with a blending tool like your finger or a brush or blending stick. It is
easily removed too with an eraser. It’s a good base to start drawing with.
Compressed charcoal is a very graphic strong tone. The charcoal sticks to the
paper and it’s hard to move about but it demands you to be confident. Charcoal
pencils are harder still and they are good for detailed drawing. They are what
I use as a finishing touch.
What paper you use is important too. Paper
with a slight texture holds the charcoal better, but I don’t love textured
paper so I used smooth paper and I struggled to fix the charcoal when I had
finished.
Having worked with charcoal, I totally
understand why many artists use it in their work. It has the capacity to be
bold and strong and extremely graphic or you can create the gentlest tonal
range. I totally respect it and I’m very grateful for experiencing it.
