Art Class #3 - Charcoal

[Cassiepeia]

Welcome to the third Global Paw art class.

Sorry we’re starting late guys but this is a quick medium so I don’t think it will matter much.

This month we’re looking at Charcoal.
Charcoal is probably the easiest medium for beginners because it forces you to look at the shape and tone of things rather than get caught up in the fiddly details, which are very difficult in charcoal.

If this is the first time you’re joining one of our classes here, I encourage you to go back and look at my first class on basic drawing. I’m not going to go over much of that again here. I just want to get stuck right into it.

Things you should know
Charcoal is messy…..REALLY messy. Not only will you get it all over yourself but you’re guaranteed to make a mess of the page you’re working on as well.
Don’t worry about it though. That’s half the fun of it!

Charcoal comes in several forms (twigs, compressed, powder & pencils) and is made from several types of wood (willow, poplar & beech).
I want to stop for a second and apologise for the requirements list, on which I stressed “willow”. I’ve never seen any beech or poplar charcoal down here (not to say it isn’t in Australia…I’ve just never seen it) so I wasn’t thinking when I wrote the list. Any type of charcoal is OK to use.

Charcoal can be blended by fingers, tissue paper, torchons (paper that is curled tightly to form a pencil like tool that you can use to ‘smudge’ or blend charcoal, graphite, pastel, conte etc…), cotton buds or cloth rags.

It can also be sharpened by using sandpaper or a knife (although you have to be careful with a knife as you can break the charcoal easily if you’re too rough).

Erasers (both kneadable & normal) are used to pick out lighter tones and highlights. It’s quite an easy medium to erase, but it’s messy and can dirty up your eraser fast. I find fingers and blending tools can be used to pick up some of the charcoal to create lighter tones too.

Chalk is used for brilliant highlights.

It’s very easy to smudge charcoal so when you’re working on your little assignments (or any drawing after the class) be careful not to rest your hand on the drawing. You can use tracing paper over the top of the drawing so you can rest your hand on top, if you need to (the tracing paper is see through so you can still see your drawing while you have it covered, meaning you don’t have to keep lifting up the paper to check things).

OK, lets get right down to business.

First, like with all new mediums we encounter, we’re going to play with the charcoal (and chalk). Take one piece of your paper…now scribble and smudge your way across it. Have fun, and really attack that charcoal. How does the charcoal perform on the paper? How thin and thick can you make lines? How well does the eraser work? Use every tool you have on it. Enjoy!!

When you’re done (and I want you do only do this AFTER you’re done testing our the charcoal). I want you to try something else. Consider it another form of ‘playing’. Take a new piece of paper and draw 3 things from LIFE. I’ll leave the choice of objects up to you but I want each object drawn on it’s own and there MUST be at least one shiny object (something metallic or ceramic perhaps?).
Feel free to blend as much as you like…but remember your tones. Find the lightest and darkest tones and work from there. Don’t try to render fine detail…charcoal won’t let you do that.

Have fun and I’d like you to post your efforts here if you’re brave enough.

**This is a repost of the lost class so I'll add my other posts and homework here**

Here's my homework for the first lesson. You can also see in the image the tools I used (although I forgot to include the paint brush I used to blend some). You can see how I've wrapped aluminium foil around the charcoal to stop my fingers getting too messy when I use it. Of course that doesn't stop my hands getting messy when I blend. LOL

How's everyone else doing? Don't forget to post!

HOMEWORK #2
I want to you sketch your pets now. Take a new piece of paper and try to capture your critters as best you can. Remember, look for shape and form, don't worry about too much detail.
If they're too wiggly, try sketching them when they're asleep or eating/drinking. Have fun!


I can't wait to see what you guys have done for your homework...I really hope you'll all post your work here before you get started on your.............


FINAL HOMEWORK

A pet portrait, without a pet

Yes that's right folks, I want you to do a portrait of your pet that doesn't contain your pet at all. lol What the heck does she mean? I hear you ask.

What I mean is this. Take a few items that belong to your pet and that remind you of your pet every time you look at them. They could be anything...a toy, a collar, a bowl, a bed etc... Put together 3 of these items in an arrangment that looks pleasing to the eye and add some light (use a lamp, a candle or sit it by a window). Then I want to to draw that still life.

The image should give people an idea of who (and possibly, what) your pet is. What it's personality is.

I know it might sound difficult, but trust me this is something I'm sure you'll all enjoy.

Cass.

P.S. I'll post a little on composition, while you guys are catching up with the second lot of homework (although I would hope you'd be finished by now ).

[gargoyle1108]

Before "The Crash" I had posted a few sketches. I haven't done any more since then, but I figure I'll repost them to try to keep this thread current. Here's my sketch of a coffee mug and an apple...

[linnie]

cass I am so sorry I havnt been able to be part of this class but as you know it has been a hectic and sad time.

[Cassiepeia]

That's ok Linnie. Not many people have been part of it anyway. LOL Oh well, at least the info is here for anyone interested in charcoal in the future.

Cass.

[Barrett]

Me too Cass,
I have been so busy with Harley and Lucy and we just found out our landlord is selling our house we rent so we have to move. I'll catch up, I promise!

[Cassiepeia]

That's ok. There's no need to "catch up" these classes are here to provide info an inspiration to those who want to learn. They'll always be here. I'm just happy to be able to do it.

Cass.

[Swiftwind]

I bought a really great drawing set on the weekend and it contains charcoal sticks and charcoal pencils (it even came with a kneaded rubber). I can't wait to use both of them! I'll add my contributions to this thread in the next few weeks or so (just have to get those pesky college exams out of the way first!).

Cass, since your art class threads I have really felt excited to get back into drawing, and many people have complimented my final task for the first Art Class (the Kelpie drawing). I would have never drawn something like that if it weren't for you and your art classes. I just wanted to say a big thank you!

[Cassiepeia]

You're welcome Swiftwind. I'm just happy you've found them inspiring and helpful. That's exactly what I wanted the classes to achieve.
Can't wait to see what you'll do with this class. I should probably post that bit on composition I promised I would. lol I'll do that and then I'll join you in the final project for it.
I need to do a new still life, I haven't done one in ages.

Cass.

[Swiftwind]

I've never really used charcoal before. Here is my attempt at drawing Abby, my Chihuahua (drawn with a 2B charcoal pencil):



I think I really need some practice!

[Cassiepeia]

Wow! You did a fantastic job!

Cass.

[Swiftwind]

Thanks Cass! I just realised that I think I have to wait until my charcoal pencils become more rounded before they start 'working well'. The charcoal was quite sharp since they were brand new pencils. I think I'll give it another go next weekend.

[Cassiepeia]

You can use some sand paper to make the tip blunt if you like. But don't be too eager to lose the sharpness, if you buy yourself some natural charcoal (they look like twigs) you'll be able to get more tone down on the paper and you can save the pencil for fine detail. Believe me when I say you'll crave fine detail once you start working with charcoal because charcoal is so difficult to create fine detail with.

Cass.