Art with children and teens: charcoal drawing

by admin on September 30, 2014

The drawing on the left was done without any toning of the paper. The one on the right is an example of how seeing the lights and darks makes such a difference. The drawing on the left was done without any toning of the paper. The one on the right is an example of how seeing the lights and darks makes such a difference.

This lesson features charcoal drawing with a twist: drawing negatively. The concept is quite simple, and the results amazing.

We mostly use white paper in our day-to-day lives for convenience and economy. But in reality, what we see, and therefore what we need to draw, is full of deep tones–thousands of them! Starting our drawing with a mid-dark tone, we accomplish two things (and maybe more): we acquaint ourselves with the paper and with mark-making, and

we give ourselves the freedom to see light.

This activity is appropriate for almost any age. You can choose to draw almost anything: portraits/self-portraits, a still-life of building blocks or some bowls, or a plant. Choose something not too complex (save a landscape for later), but with clear light and dark areas.

You will need:

–a 4B graphite stick, vine charcoal, compressed charcoal. You can even use an unburned bit of charcoal from a wood stove (cool!), but it will have irregularities in its marking

–a tissue or paper towel

–drawing paper (something with “tooth”, not smooth)

–an eraser (kneadeable, white, or whatever)

Start with your drawing paper on a flat surface. Rub the charcoal all over the surface, leaving a white border around the edge. You are aiming for a 50% grey tone. Use the tissue to smear the charcoal into a smooth application. Begin to draw. Early on, before you put in too much detail, squint your eyes as you look at your subject, in order to see the lighter areas. Then use the eraser to “draw” those into your piece. Do the same for the darker areas, except with darker strokes of black. Keep developing the drawing, always comparing one area to another, noticing what parts are lighter, darker, and in-between. You can always use the tissue to smooth out parts or even “erase” an area that isn’t working as https://www.viagrasansordonnancefr.com/viagra-naturel/ you’d like. You will be amazed at how this technique makes a drawing look so much more life-like.

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