MATERIALS
• Charcoal paper – I generally prefer Rives Heavyweight paper, but I use different types of paper for different pieces and effects. Experiment and find which paper you like best – just be sure it is acid-free and has some tooth (texture) to it. Completely smooth paper, such as printer paper, will not hold charcoal.
• Black & White General’s charcoal pencils – these are for the fine detail.
• White General’s compressed charcoal sticks – this white charcoal is for blending and covering areas of light. It is much harder than the White soft pastels.
• White Alphacolor Soft Pastels – these are very soft and should be used over areas already covered with black pastel or the harder compressed charcoal sticks. They are also a warmer white than the compressed white charcoal.
• Black Gallery Artists’ Soft Pastels – these are very soft like the white pastels and cover quickly. A little goes a long way.
• Winsor & Newton Workable Fixative – I’ve found Winsor & Newton has the finest spray nozzle, which leaves fewer speckles on your piece. Consequently the nozzle does get clogged very easily.
• I am not brand loyal to any of these materials. These are simply the brands that are conveniently sold near my house. The important thing is to use black and white charcoal pencils, black soft pastel, and two types of white – one soft pastel and one harder compressed charcoal stick.
STEP ONE
Sketch – roughly sketch the general outline and proportions of the piece using the black pastel
Leave areas of white blank or shade them lightly.
Apply greater pressure on areas of darkness.
STEP TWO
Add white – cover areas of light and medium tones with white compressed charcoal.
STEP THREE
Blend- using your hands, smear the areas together. Rub the entire piece.
Continue to add more layers of white and black charcoal, smearing in between, until the texture of the paper is no longer visible.
STEP FOUR
Repeat – continue to add layers of white and black where it is needed to increase contrast and smoothness. You may also add the softer, warmer white pastel to smooth and add light.
STEP FIVE AND FINAL STEP
Add detail – once the entire piece is saturated with charcoal pastel and looks smooth and accurate as far as proportion and contrast, sharpen your charcoal pencils and add the detail. Clean up edges and add highlights, such as individual hair strands. This is the fun part, where the piece comes to life.
Spray – my personal least favourite part of using charcoal is spraying the finished piece with fixative. Unfortunately it is both necessary and terrifying. Always use a workable fixative for this reason. This means that if there is a problem, while not optimal, you can rework that area of the drawing. I often rework the drawing slightly after spraying regardless, as I despise the tiny dots that often appear. If you are not comfortable or used to working with fixative, practice with a test piece first.
ARTIST’S HINTS AND TIPS
• In order to achieve a smooth finished piece, it is extremely important to saturate the paper with charcoal/pastel. Varying types of paper will hold charcoal differently. The more textured the paper is, the more charcoal it will hold, therefore requiring more coats of charcoal pastel. The key is to saturate the paper just enough to make the piece smooth, without oversaturating it so it does not hold. This is easier said than done, and will only come with practice.
• Use coats of white charcoal/ pastel instead of an eraser. It will save you frustration and a ruined eraser.
• Don’t use paper towels or blending sticks to blend, use your hands. Yes, it is messy. The charcoal will absorb into the paper better if you use your hands. Paper towels and blending sticks tend to take the charcoal off the paper rather than blending as desired. From my experience, using your hands also helps you to fully connect with the piece.
• Use a small shop vacuum to clean the floor frequently to keep charcoal dust under control.
• As always, proportion is crucial. If something is out of whack, don’t avoid it. The sooner you fix it, the better.
• Work vertically if possible, on an easel or on the wall. This helps with proportion.
