Charcoal sketching

Charcoal sketching is a great tool to simplify your composition. Whereas paints can register a wealth of detail, charcoal is best at registering light and shadow, which is often the backbone to a painting.

The image of the side view of the studio does have a fair amount of detail that has to be ignored with the initial charcoal pass that concentrates on where the shadows are.

The abstract nature of the sketch reveals the main structure of the image and is a very useful starting point for painters who don't want their work to get "lost in the detail"

The negative shapes created by using a rubber can hint at some detail such as the ladders and can also serve to create a mid tone in the sky and right hand shadow.

I often use this amazing Rembrandt drawing as an example of how light, and not the objects themselves, create the composition in figurative art.

If you want to explore more ways that charcoal drawing can help you with your observation skills and painting in general you can click on the link to get information and book onto my June workshop.

Foundation workshops