Friday, August 1, 2014

The Drawings Of Contemporary Charcoal Artists

By Sharron Cantu


Drawing has traditionally been a part of the artistic process. From art students to professionals, the unique characteristics of charcoal have been appreciated for centuries. Many an artist used this medium for producing preparatory drawings. Contemporary charcoal artists, however, are using this medium in different ways and elevating this art form to new heights.

The drawings cover many different genres. There are those that are very realistic such as portraits created by referring to photographic source materials. There are drawings that share the exacting detail of zoological or botanical drawings. Some of these drawings are deceptively realistic but it is the unusual conceptual or visual juxtapositions that create intrigue. Others express the range and beauty of human movement. Then there are those that are mysteriously surreal.

There are some basic tools that are used by most professionals. Charcoal is found in various forms, some of which are more suitable for covering large areas and others for more detailed work. A stick is created by slow burning twigs like willow until carbon is formed. A compressed type is created by binding particles with gum. This type creates darker marks but is not spread or erased as easily as the vine form. The paper is usually carefully selected to properly hold the particles and various erasers are used. Other techniques like blending and spreading require tools like a blending stamp.

These materials used are deceptively simple. They are able to be used to produce drawings of the greatest complexity. Using many different values of black and white creates a subtlety and unusual quality. Whatever medium is used by artists, from watercolors to oils, these values are always of vital importance.

When the medium one uses does not rely on color to create beauty, it is more important than ever to use highlights, mid-tones and shadows to great effect. An artist has to learn to do this in order to capture the necessary depth. A little more or less pressure, some erasing, blending and smearing all work together to produce varying values.

This medium is not permanent and this has advantages and disadvantages. It has a flexibility as it is easily erased, spread and blended. However, a fixative has to be used on completion to make it permanent. Various types of fixatives can be used, some of which are more permanent than others.

These artists keep pushing boundaries and thinking about new ways to express themselves. There is one such artist who is also a dancer and creates large scale drawings, mapping out human body movements. Another creates short animated films by shooting frame by frame showing the evolution of his drawings and creating narrative sequences.

Drawings in this medium are available from many online sources. One can browse through numerous works before choosing a particular drawing. Choices made depend on many factors such as personal preference and budget. This is one of the longest surviving artistic mediums and it offers a unique way of capturing subtle tones, emotions and gestures by intuitive use of light and dark.




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