How to Develop Your Drawing Skills Using Charcoal

Fiona Peart - Posted on 12 Oct 2008

How to draw with charcoal

Charcoal comes in various forms, all of which create slightly different results. Either use it in stick form in a variety of thicknesses:

• Willow charcoal pencils
• Compressed charcoal

Or use it in pencil form:

• Charcoal pencils
• Tinted charcoal pencils.

Willow charcoal is made from natural willow; the sticks look like a piece of wood and have a varied appearance. It has a soft, smooth powdery consistency when applied to dry paper. Blend it using your fingers or a tool such as a torchon, cotton bud or tissue. Once blended, charcoal can be removed or lifted by using a putty eraser. More charcoal may then be added and blended to create a variety of tones. Willow charcoal is naturally dark but not black. It is the most forgiving of all charcoals and ideal to use for a beginner to the medium.

Compressed charcoal is available in stick form. It is either cylindrical or comes in oblong blocks. The consistency although powdery feels more greasy than willow charcoal and is a little more difficult to erase and lift. It does, however, come in a variety of tones, the darkest being much blacker than willow charcoal.

Charcoal pencils are available in various dark tonal values (including light, medium and dark) and they have
a velvety appearance. The pencil form makes them more convenient to use for many people, especially for those artists who prefer handling a pencil rather than a stick, or prefer not to get their hands dirty. These have a less powdery consistency and are ideal for smaller drawings, which perhaps include details. They are not as suited to large drawings or blocking in large areas (unlike willow and compressed charcoal). They erase and blend fairly easily.

Tinted charcoal

Tinted charcoal pencils are a fairly new concept and behave much the same as charcoal pencils although they have the advantage of soft hints of colour. Their consistency, although powdery, is not the same as pastels and should not be thought of as such. They are available in a range of subtle colours, which add a further dimension to charcoal drawing.

YOU WILL NEED

Willow charcoal
Compressed charcoal
Charcoal pencils
Tinted charcoal pencils
White pastel pencil
White cartridge paper
Coloured pastel paper
Soft putty eraser

TECHNIQUE 1 Blocking in

Charcoal can be used in various ways; the most forgiving and exciting for the beginner is to block in, which creates a mid tone over the entire paper. This is done before adding or removing more charcoal. Willow charcoal is best for blocking in.