SP417 – Learn Charcoal Drawing

This short course will introduce you to the exciting, versatile and beautifully messy media of charcoal. Whether landscape, figure or still life, we will cover techniques that enable you to begin to master this interesting medium.

There will be various techniques for you to try out, and each week will build on the previous one as to complexity and practice.

We will work from landscape references, direct still life and life model – but please feel free to bring your own reference materials. It is ok to work from mobile phone pictures.

You will need to bring the following:
A3 pad of white cartridge paper- (and any other paper you fancy experimenting with.)
Box of willow charcoal mixed sizes
Some black compressed charcoal, either in stick or pencil form
Putty rubber
Ordinary eraser
Smudging stick or blending stump (tortillon)
kitchen roll
Craft or Stanley-type knife
Fixative (hair spray will do at a pinch but will not withstand the test of time if you want
to keep your work for posterity!)