Charcoal Drawings

Since I was very young, I have always had an appreciation of charcoal drawings. I think that it started with an art class actually.

Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.
Author: Leo Buscaglia

We were studying techniques for depicting light and shadows, and so charcoal pencil drawings were the most natural way to do it. When I first used charcoal pencils, I thought they were more than a little bit awkward. I was used to writing with a good bit of pressure, but you couldn't do that with charcoal portraits. Charcoal drawing demanded a delicate touch. Rather than just constructing a line, you were drawing with the edge of the pencil. To get the proper shading techniques, you needed precise control over the angle and the amount of pressure that you used no small task for a beginning artist.

Nonetheless, I stuck with charcoal drawing and pretty soon I was starting to get pretty good at it.

Moving's not exactly fun--first you pack then you un-packand even when you think you're done, you're not.You have to clean, and clean some more,and then go crazy looking forall kinds of stuff that isn't where you thought...Yes, moving can be quite a strain,well, let's be honest, it's a pain,just thinking of it makes you moan and groan--but bit by bit you organizeand then one day you realizeyou're feeling totally at home sweet home.
Author: Unknown

Of course, charcoal drawing was not my passion in life immediately. I was deeply involved in ceramics, and I thought I would make my future as an art professional in that medium. As time went on, however, my ceramic works stagnated. My charcoal drawings, on the other hand, continued to improve. By the time I enrolled in college, I had established a small, part-time business making charcoal portraits from photographs. Before I even sent in my first application to art school, I had made hundreds of dollars off of charcoal drawings.

The problem was that my craft was outpacing my creativity. I could draw charcoal drawings with stunning realism and make it look easy, but I couldn't think of anything more to draw. I was having very few dreams my traditional source of inspiration and my life was rather bland. As a matter of fact, it seemed like I was drying up. I decided that I had to take a drastic measure. I bought all the charcoal pencils that I needed and locked myself up in my room for a solid week. I did not come out except to get Chinese takeout, and spent the rest of my time frantically composing charcoal sketches. By the end of the week, my floor was literally covered with charcoal drawings. I was exhausted, but I had done it. I had broken through whatever had been blocking my creativity. I can not tell you what a relief that was! Since that point, I have never had any shortage of inspiration.

"One little person giving all of her time to peace, makes news.Many people given their time to peace, makes history."
Author: Unknown

Related articles:

• Charcoal Pencils Charcoal pencils may well be one of the oldest art forms. From what I have heard, ancient cave men have been drawing with charcoal since well before the dawn of civilization.She listened to her he...


• Mystery Books My love of mystery books started very early in life. I remember reading detective novels when I was growing up, as a matter of fact."When the first baby laughed for the first time,the laugh broke...


• Snow Boots When I was a kid, I absolutely hated wearing snow boots. I grew up in Michigan, and the winters were long and cold. There was always snow on the ground for several months every year, so having goo...


• King Size Mattress We all have one of those relatives that make life really, um, interesting. When my snippety sister-in-law poked her nosey nose into my bedroom, she exclaimed that there was no way that we had a ki...


• Hunting Guns When I used to go hunting with my dad, we paid very little attention to what hunting guns we used. We had had the same hunting rifles in the family for at least a generation or two, and we figured...