Critical Reflection on my Charcoal Work Thus Far - How it Will Impact My Work Going Forward
When beginning to work on some charcoal pieces during this stage of the project, I felt it was an important line of investigation because I wanted to find ways to depict certain aspects of my subject matter that were somewhat lacking in the fine liner work. Although the fine liner pieces are strong in terms of their composition and level of detail, they lack in tonal range and certain materials that the subject matter is made from cannot be translated well in the medium because of its scratchy nature. Finding a second medium that compliments the pen, as well as gives me some tonal range and transparency is therefore important to the progression of the project.
Also, developing other drawing methods allows me to produce workshop count that includes both pen and charcoal pieces to show students the diversity in outcomes you can achieve depending on the medium used. Therefore, from the outset this was an important part of the project that stretches my drawing ability, my workshop content and the development of new methods and techniques for the project.
In light of creating four exclusively charcoal pieces, I have found great benefits to this medium, as well as some setbacks. Many of the benefits of drawing using this medium is that it gives a level of both freedom and control overheat you are creating, because you are able to add and take away the charcoal in layers. I noticed this in my very first drawing, where I was able to create a base layer tone across the whole surface by just drawing a rough outline and rubbing it directly into the paper. This is beneficial because even at an early stage I was able to build up some tone that complimented the outline I drew. It is useful because you can map out the next stages of your
drawing earlier than that of a fine liner piece because it can be manipulated and added to from the very beginning. Therefore, there are no definite lines you have to stay with from the outset. Also, it showed me how I could use charcoal as a beginning layer for my fine liner drawings. As you can rub the charcoal directly into the paper to almost lock it in place, working over the top of two or three layers of charcoal that has been developed into the shape of the reference is something that I want to investigate. It would provide me with a piece of work that has adequate detail, tonal range and composition, simply by using certain mediums where they are more appropriate. Finding methods within my practice that combine mediums where they are at their strongest gives me an understanding of what I am using, how I am using them and the decision making I am undertaking to create a realistic and accurate outcome.
As a standalone piece, the first charcoal piece is strong in terms of its composition, tonal range, its mood and it’s level of detail for the particular medium used. I would have liked there to be more detail in the wood panels in the foreground, however charcoal is limiting in this area because it is a loose medium that, at times, lacks control. This is such areas that I would require the fine liner pen to boost the overall realism of the piece. However, this piece was undertaken to experiment with the capabilities of the medium, and I feel I got a good understanding of what it was able to do and not do. I think this piece has resulted in a strong outcome that could be presented alongside my pen drawings in an exhibition environment because it shows the shed in a darker, arguably more complimentary state to how it is in actuality. The charcoal highlights it’s decay and disuse, which is something I did not expect to happen and that I think is a strong aspect of the piece. I would like to do a fine liner drawing of the same subject matter to then compare and contrast the qualities each piece have, as I think it would be very interesting to see the strengths and weaknesses of both pieces.
Later, I went on to create two more pieces in a similar form, however this time I focused on different types of structures, one that is a more typical shed, the other having more of a focus on glass. Having two different variations to work on at this stage was particularly important because I wanted to experiment with different types of subject matter and how the charcoal could replicate
what I could see. Although one of the pieces is a quicker, more sketchy representation of the shed, it did show me that there is a versatility to the medium, although building detail is limiting when the details are fine. However, I was able to create a shape, record areas of light and dark and add some detail to the piece without too much issue. The second piece, the one with the most glass showed me that if I work in enough layers, I can create a glass effect that gives a suggestion of transparency or that light is shining onto the surface, creating different shapes and reflections. This is insightful because I have not yet been able to replicate this effectively in pen. It shows that the use of charcoal in specific situations could be effective when I am drawing, and therefore it is beneficial to my process. It also shows how different mediums create different outcomes, which is something I want to convey within my workshops. Having different mediums at your disposal will show students that they can use the same reference over and over again and still create different pieces of work, thereby building up a body of work of their own. As this has been an important finding from working this way, I indent to frame some of my Drawing Skills workshop around the use of charcoal, where I can focus on free drawing, form and tonal range. It shows that although the level of detail is not on the same level as the pen drawings, that there is still a viable method of producing art this way, but the outcome focuses on tonal range and the mood of the piece. I see this as a positive aspect of my investigation and experimentation as a result of this.
Later, I decided to focus on a similar subject matter to the first piece, but this time a close up. Doing a close up allows me to use a reference that depicts larger objects, which is more suited for charcoal work because the details are less fine due to you being close up. My process of applying the charcoal was the same, whereby I worked in layers, rubbing out areas that were high or brighter points and darkening areas of shade. Although I think this piece would have benefitted from being larger, such as A1 or A0, I was able to get the essence of the structure at the size I worked at, A2. If the paper was bigger, I would have been able to use the scale to my advantage and enlarged the detail in the piece more, thereby adding more detail into the drawing as a result. But, I think this piece also shows charcoal’s benefits in terms of depicting closer images and how the tonal range is vital to the piece’s success. I would like to revisit a piece like this and play around with the scale to see if I can do it better a second time, however I think that the piece shows the potential in this sketch is there, and requires some refinement.
Looking at charcoal thus far has been an insightful aspect of my experimentation because it has shown me elements of my practice that I can add to me fine liner drawing while still keeping the essence of what I do. It I my intention to build on my investigations with further research and experimentation through combining the fine liner with the charcoal in a piece. I think it has also given me greater ideas of where to take my next workshop about drawing skills and my need to create diversity and promote the idea that all outcomes have good elements to them, regardless of the chosen medium. From this point, I intend to:
Research into relevant artists who have used a charcoal effectively, and even charcoal and pen together
Work with both mediums in a selection of pieces to see if it provides the outcome I desire.
Overall, this has been an important part of my experimentation and exploration into my own ways of working.
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