Today, on a break, I made a quick trip to the art supply store and I picked up some charcoal pencils. Tonight I wanted to give them a try. I haven’t used charcoal for quite a while. I did take a figure drawing class back in college which taught me how to use charcoal but I remember it took quite a while to get used to. This evening was like reliving that first day using it. I’m still not even sure how best to use it. I found myself using the shading stump in more creative ways in order to get the rendered look that I was aiming for. I think in the future I could see myself drawing mostly with graphite and then accenting with charcoal perhaps. I’m not sure yet. I still have a lot of technique to learn when it comes to shading.
kneaded erasers are key when working with charcoal. Also look into accenting with white conté crayons.
Thanks for the tip Dean. Charcoal is an interesting medium. I kind of love/hate it. I think once I get a better handle on it I could grow to love it. There is definitely more of a solid technique to it rather than an experimental medium. All the way down to which type of charcoal should go down first and which type last.