How to Work With Charcoal in Art

Cave drawings were made with the charcoal from burnt sticks.

Charcoal is one of the most rudimentary tools of drawing as well as one of the earliest forms of art itself. The fine lines of charcoal, most likely from burnt sticks, were used to create the vast murals of prehistoric cave drawings. Charcoal is still a popular artistic tool today, and its dark textured looks are even being recreated digitally in different design software. Charcoal is used to create all types of drawings including very detailed portraits.

Things You'll Need

• Vine Charcoal
• Compressed Charcoal
• Powder Charcoal
• Textured Paper
• Eraser

Instructions

1. Cover your work surface with old newspaper. This will keep all the loose charcoal powder and flakes from marking up your table.

2. Position your textured paper vertically. This is called the portrait position.

3. Cover the entire surface of your paper with powder charcoal by sprinkling the charcoal evenly over the paper, then rub the powder in with your fingertips. This will create a workable surface for your portrait. Because charcoal drawing is a combination of drawing and erasing, an initial shaded background allows you to lighten areas with your erasure as well as darken areas with your charcoal.

4. Create an inch border for you drawing by erasing the charcoal on the edges of your paper. This will frame your portrait.

5. Draw the contours for the face and hair in your portrait using your vine charcoal. Vine charcoal is not compressed and will smudge and flake easily. These characteristics create soft dynamic lines. Vary the pressure you apply when drawing with vine charcoal to create thick, thin, soft or hard lines.

6. Draw the precise lines for your portrait's eyes, nose and lips with your compressed charcoal. Compressed charcoal will create lines much like a sharpened pencil and should be used to create the most detailed elements of your work.

7. Erase your powder charcoal around the forehead, cheekbones and chin of your portrait. This creates white highlights that will add depth and distinction to your portrait.

8. Remove charcoal dust by blowing the small fragments off the paper. Wiping off excess charcoal will cause streaks and smearing over your portrait.

References

• Art History: Charcoal, The History and Development of a Medium
• SJSU: Drawing, Charcoal