Thursday, July 24, 2014

Buying The Work 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.

Every type of genre and style is covered by these drawings. Some are more realistic in nature such as portraits, wildlife and botanical drawings. However, even those that are realistic often have interesting juxtapositions of concepts or objects. There are those that are more impressionist in nature and even some with more surreal qualities.

The tools used basically consist of various forms of charcoal, paper, erasers and blending stamps. The charcoal comes in various forms from sticks to powder. Willow twigs are slow burned to form carbon from wood and used in stick form. A powdered form is used for spreading over large areas on a drawing. A compressed form created by binding particles with gum. This type is more difficult to erase and spread but it produces darker marks.

These materials may appear very simple but they are also extremely versatile. With some experience, a wide range of different tones and shades can be produced. Far from being restricted by using only shades of black and white to create drawings, an experienced artist can be stimulated to increased depth and perception by this.

Beauty is often associated with color but artists using only black and white discover a certain magic that comes from simply working with shadows, mid-tones and highlights. An experienced artist is able to create levels of gradation just by varying the pressure of the fingers or by other means such as erasing, blending or smearing. A really skilled hand not only produces subtle shades and tones but captures both detail and emotions in drawings.

These drawings are not like those created with paints in that they are impermanent. A fixative is needed to give them permanence and this is applied once the drawing is completely. There are many different kinds available today.

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.

There are a vast range of such drawings available for purchase online. This medium has been used for centuries and will probably be used for centuries to come. It will always have a place in the art world due to the unique way light and dark can be expressed and subtle shades, tones and emotions can be expressed. The fact that artists are increasingly stretching the limits of this medium is exciting and the wide range of drawings in all sorts of genres means that there is something to suit every budget and preference.




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