How to Draw With Kingsford Charcoal

Before burning your charcoal, try drawing with it.

Kingsford charcoal is a brand of charcoal briquettes used for grilling and making fires. Briquettes are harder and denser than most artist charcoals, which flake to produce a soft texture on the drawing medium. Despite this difference, Kingsford charcoal is still a viable charcoal application for the experimental artist. Bags cost less than charcoal bought at an art store and last longer. Plus, if you don't like how your drawing looks, you can always burn it for a cookout.

Things You'll Need

• Kingsford charcoal
• Paper towels
• Tortillions
• Laid surface or velour paper

Instructions

1. Hold a Kingsford charcoal briquette in your hand so that one of the corners sticks out past your thumb and forefinger. Very gently make a stroke on your paper and note how surprisingly dark and thin the line is.

2. Put down the charcoal briquette and, using a tortillion (a small, thin, cylindrical smearing tool), spread the charcoal over your paper to experiment with the brushing quality of this kind of charcoal.

3. Wad a paper towel in your hand and brush the spread charcoal even more, noting how it now thins out. The effect often creates a cloud-like softness on the page, similar to a very light application of artist's charcoal.

4. Pick up the briquette again and draw darker strokes, experimenting with the briquette, tortillion, and paper towel until you feel comfortable you know how to use the particular charcoal from a burning briquette. Try applying the briquette so the smooth round face touches the paper to apply more charcoal at once, or use the flat edge of a side to create long, thick bars.

Tips & Warnings

• Consider wearing an apron when drawing with briquette charcoal because, as with other charcoals, drawing with it can get messy.

References

• "Drawing With Charcoal, Chalk, and Sanguine Crayon"; Gabriel Martín i Roig; 2006