Category:Charcoal

A blackish material often used for rough drawings or for working on large drawings where pencil would be unpractical. There are three kinds of charcoal commenly used in art.

Types of Charcoal
Vine- This thin kind of charcoal is generally used for softer work, and is easily blended. It can not achieve dark tones and is easy to wipe off and erase, making it ideal for under-drawings but not suited for longer drawings. It comes in a cylindrical shape.

Compressed- This kind of charcoal often comes in a rectangular shape and is less easy to blend than vine charcoal. It is also tougher, and thus less easily crushed. It is useful for covering large areas on a drawing and for dark areas.

Powdered- Used to covered large sections of a drawing in order to give it tone. Also good for creating more soft, general areas of tone.

General Charcoal Tips
- Spray your charcoal drawings with a Fixative if you have any desire to preserve it. Once rolled up or even laid flat with other drawings, it will very quickly degenerate into a smeary mess.

- Remember that charcoal is not pencil and thus should not be used as such. Concentrate more on capturing the feel of the subject than on small details.